I’ve got a ‘one weird trick’ for you. If you’re moving to a new place, there’s one thing you could do to start feeling at home: explore. Don’t stare at the walls of your new apartment and expect new opportunities to come knocking. The best way to get out and about? Start driving with a ride-sharing company like Lyft or Uber.
Drive Like a Local
I’ve picked people up from offices, family homes, restaurants, the theater, the waterfront… it feels like there’s nowhere I haven’t been. It’s incredible how quickly I got to know the city just by exploring. After a week of making money, I felt comfortable with major junctions, the highway, and even the tiny side streets.
Eat Like a Local
One thing I’ve learned is Googling can only go so far. The real gems—best take-out, strongest coffee, great local beer—can only be found through true hometown know-how. Try to ask everyone who gets in your car, any new work friends, or your new neighbors about where they pick up their coffee or order their pizza from, and you’re bound to find those true secret hot-spots.
Meet Like a Local
Joining groups and local clubs is a great tactic to meet new people, but you shouldn’t have to define yourself with a single activity or group of friends. Maybe you love yoga, or hanging out at the bar on Friday, or volunteering with a local charity – but that doesn’t mean you have to be ‘the yoga guy’ now. I made a ton of different friends meeting other Lyft drivers (yeah, they throw us parties sometimes) and my passengers, many who were new to the city themselves.
Live Like a Local
Driving with Lyft or Uber wasn’t only great to meet new folks or see the city—technically, the first perk is the money. With extra income, I could work flexibly and snatch up a great apartment before anyone else saw it, avoid weekend crowds when I did a Home Depot run, and spend a little bit more on a couch to make that apartment feel homey. Since I define my own hours on the road, I could make sure I left plenty of time to complete my move and get set up.