City living probably isn’t for everyone. Moving to a city from a small town can be a huge adjustment for anyone. Many former small town residents may be concerned that a move to the city will take that small town personality out of them. Just as you can’t take the city out of a lifetime city resident, you can’t take the country out of a life long country resident.

Although city living has distinct advantages, it may be incredibly overwhelming for someone who comes from a small town. Learning how to adapt to life in the city can be incredibly difficult for someone who has come from a small town. The best way to avoid getting overwhelmed is to take things one step at a time.

• Get to know neighborhoods

Neighborhoods often have a unique character that is unlike other neighborhoods. Becoming familiar with neighborhoods, the people in them, and the interests of the people and what the area has to offer can be incredibly helpful. It can help you find a suitable place to live, and help you know what makes you feel comfortable.

• Meet people

Getting to know people can be a great way to share country living experiences, and by sharing those experiences, the characteristics of small town living that you believe were most responsible for shaping your personality will continue to be a part of your consciousness.

• Look for restaurants that serve familiar food

At times when you feel as though the small town life that you remember so fondly are getting lost in the hustle and bustle and rush of city life, go to restaurants that serve that good old-fashioned food that you remember from growing up. Take some friends, and show them what you grew up eating, and see how they react.

• Find other city dwellers who came from small towns

Most large and medium-size cities are filled with all sorts of people, and diversity is very much the essence of city life. By finding groups for people with similar interests, you may be able to continue to pursue or participate in things that interested you when you were living in a small town. Knowing that there are other people just like you who are facing all of the same adjustment issues can be a real source of comfort and strength.

A move to the city doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the aspects of small town living that helped to shape you have to be thrown away. Ideally, you will be able to mix the small town personality with everything that city life has to offer. By mixing these two things, you can enjoy your new life peacefully, knowing that your small town personality will be very much at home, regardless of how big the city you have moved to is.