[Guest Post]

By Meredith Jones

5 Ways Recent Immigrants Can Embrace Their New Community

If you’re a recent immigrant to the United States, you may feel overwhelmed as you try to adjust to your new lifestyle. Even though you likely miss your family and your hometown, you’re probably excited about experiencing everything the US has to offer. From reading the local news at Pierce Prairie Post to volunteering in your area to give back and meet new people, there are ways to feel more at home in the US. Here are a few ways to ease your homesickness!

Support Your Family Back Home

Once you’ve gotten financially stable in the US, you may want to talk to your family about how you can support them from afar. Discussing money with your relatives can be awkward, but your family will certainly appreciate the help!

When the time comes to send money to your family in India, for example, look for an affordable and convenient transfer service like Remitly. When sending funds to your relatives in India, you want to use a reliable transfer service that makes it easy to send money safely with limited fees. Through their services, you can rest assured that your money will arrive! To save more money for your family, Bankrate recommends evaluating your current budget to see if there are any areas where you can cut back.

Alternatively, you can send your family care packages filled with items they may want or need. However, there are certain restrictions and guidelines you need to follow; Eurosender has a great list of things you need to know before you ship out a care package.

Explore Your New City

Relocating to a new country is definitely an adventure. Yes, living somewhere unfamiliar is hard — but the best way to change that is by getting to know your new area! There are so many fun ways that you can “play tourist” in your own town. You can visit museums, try new restaurants, seek out natural beauty at local parks, or simply hang out downtown on the weekends. You never know what hidden gems you’ll find!

Make Time to Socialize

After moving to a new place, life can feel lonely. After all, you don’t have the tight-knit family network in the US that you had back home. When it comes to making friends, you might not know where to start. In the beginning, feel free to accept any invitations that come along! If your coworkers are going out after work, and they ask you to come, join in. If you find out about an organization centered around one of your hobbies that meets up regularly, go to an event and chat with the other attendees.

Start Volunteering

Do you want to give back to your new community? Volunteering is a great way to help out other people and make some new friends while you’re at it! You can look for opportunities to volunteer in your area by searching online or checking out bulletins at local businesses. When you find a cause that speaks to you, get in touch with the person running the group and see what they need a hand with.

Invite Your Loved Ones to Visit

When the timing is right, you can bring your two worlds together by inviting your loved ones for a visit. To find affordable plane tickets, Spend Life Traveling recommends checking several different flight search engines and encouraging your loved ones to be flexible with their travel dates. You’ll have a great time showing them around your city!

Moving to a new country is undeniably hard, and recent immigrants always face challenges. But before you know it, the US will start to feel like home. By taking steps to get involved with your community while keeping in touch with your family, you can maintain strong connections with the people you love, no matter where they live!

Want to keep up with the local news in your community? Get up to date with the Pierce Prairie Post! Contact us today with your questions and comments.

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