They say you don’t miss it until its gone, but you’re not even gone from your old neighborhood and you’re missing it already. No matter how long you’ve lived there, saying farewell to your old neighborhood is never easy. But the truth is, they can take you out of your old neighborhood, but they can’t take the neighborhood out of you.
How to Say Goodbye to Your Old Neighborhood
Saying farewell to your neighborhood doesn’t have to be a sad occasion, in fact, it can be cause for a celebration. You want to remember your friends at their best and you always had your best when you were all having fun. Here are some ways you can make your move a little less bitter and a little sweeter. To say goodbye to your friends is a hard part of moving, but it’s not the only part of moving.
Positive Aspects
There are tons of positive aspects to focus on when you’re moving to a new place. It’s a chance to reinvent yourself, start over, clean out the bad blood and get those creative juices pumping. Think about the new opportunities, the new people to meet, the new clubs, your new place, your new friends, all the new shops and sporting activities. You might not see your old friends as much, but just imagine all the things you’ll have to talk about when you do.
Dealing with Your Feelings
Who do you go to when you’re sad? You go to your friends. Why should it be any different if you’re sad about leaving them? Before you say farewell to the old neighborhood, ask the old neighborhood for a little support. Be honest with your friends about the depression and anxiety you feel about moving away. You might get a little teary-eyed, but you’ll probably feel a lot better later.
The Bucket List
We all know what a “Bucket List” is by now; it’s a list of things you want to do before you die, and while death is hopefully a long way off, moving to a new place isn’t. You’ll probably get more time to cross off the items on your bucket list in your life, but this might be the last time you will have an opportunity to do it with your old friends.
Now’s the time to carpe diem. Invite your friends and do them. Don’t think of this as your final farewell, think of it as your final hurrah. Make sure to take lots of pictures, this is the stuff memories are made of.
Remembering Your Old Neighborhood
Even if some places aren’t on your bucket list, revisiting meaningful locations with your friends is another great way of remembering your old neighborhood. Most friends have places that they hung out at often or had some kind of significance in their relationship that may be worth a final sentimental last look.
Was there a restaurant you all liked to go to? Maybe you liked to hang out at the beach and body board. Was there a place you all liked to practice karaoke at? A bowling alley that holds some striking meaningfulness?
Often, we hear the expression, “If these walls could talk….,” so imagine that they can, and go back and say “good-bye” to the places you’ll miss the most…Sure, you might feel a little bittersweet about having to part with them, but if they’re holding some secrets, you probably want to keep on good terms.
Throw A Party
Now we’re talking. There’s nothing that can’t be turned into a good excuse for a party and moving is as good an excuse as any.
Of course, if you are leaving an old home, you can throw a party that will literally bring the roof down. Although that may not be a good idea if you want to keep pleasant relations between you and your old landlord, that shouldn’t stop you from throwing a pretty great party.
Since you may not have much time to plan your party, your choice of locations may be limited. Your house is probably brimming with boxes, so that’s out of the question. That leaves you with two options: have it at a friend’s house or at a local bar or restaurant. Choose a day and time; weekends are best if you want the largest attendance, invite, text, call, and get the word out.
Then decorate. You’re throwing a bash, not a baby shower, so you don’t have to worry about florists or coordinated color schemes. You never know what you might find at the local dollar store. And while you’re there, pick up some chips, plastic spoons, and serving bowls. If your sendoff is not at a bar, stock up on spirits. There’s bound to be a lot of things to toast to.
Make Your Moving Process Easy
When you’re already dealing with the stress of leaving and relocating, the last thing you want is the additional stress of the actual moving process. Scope out the space of your new place and determine what you are going to bring and what you are leaving behind and think about enlisting some professional movers.
Look for a reputable moving company that has received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau to ensure that the movers you higher are experienced and reasonably priced. They’ll help you deal with some of the more arduous parts of the moving process, so you have more time to concentrate on saying goodbye to friends and neighbors.
Making Plans to Stay in Touch Saying
It used to seem that the words, “I’ll stay in touch” was an empty promise. They might have been said with the best of intentions, but when reality set in, you were too busy keeping track your new life than staying in touch with your old one.
However, with today’s technology, it’s almost harder to go off the radar than to stay on it. With social media platforms, emails, and good old-fashioned phone calls, staying in touch with old friends is almost easier than making new ones.
Make sure to exchange cell numbers and email addresses before you leave. Keeping in touch will make the distance between you seem much shorter.
Wow, now that we’ve talked about all how to deal with saying farewell to your old neighborhood, it almost sounds like something to look forward to. You’ve got parties to attend, places to visit, and things to cross off your bucket list, so get busy! Before you know it, you’ll have twice as many friends and twice as many stories to tell.