Moving to a new city means starting over with a new job, new neighborhood, and new friends. When you are a child, making friends is as easy as saying, “Will you play with me?” As an adult, adapting to a new community can be much more difficult. To combat the loneliness and make a home out of your new environment, consider some of the ideas below.

Find a New Hobby

You can start taking a martial arts class like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a fine arts course like pottery, or music lessons Boston like learning the guitar. In addition to keeping your mind sharp as you develop a new skill, you will start to see the same faces every week and have a built-in common interest.

Join a Cause

If you’re passionate about animals, politics, the environment, or any other support movement you can look into joining an activist group that promotes your favorite cause. Not only will this fill your calendar with events with like-minded people, but you can pat yourself on the back for volunteering to better serve your new home.

Stay in Touch

“Out of sight, out of mind” may have been painfully true in the past, but thanks to technology you can maintain relationships even in different time zones. Take the time to video call your old friends, or find someone who is interested in being a pen pal so you can write letters about your observations while you explore. Even though it may take more of an effort, you can keep up communication with some of your favorite people and invite them to visit you some time.

Moving can be a difficult process and making friends once you leave high school is not easy. With a little effort though, you can make inroads into your community and may live a more fulfilling life.