Transition to Philly

I came from a place where there was little to no public transportation. There were two major downtown areas in my home state, so I experienced a very large transition when I came to Philadelphia. I won’t lie; it was pretty difficult. However, I do think that there are ways to make the transition better. The first tip I have is to make sure you connect with people who are going through the same change. In graduate school, it is pretty easy to find those people because many people are from out of the state. Exploring a new city can be a little nerve racking when you are doing it alone, so find someone you can explore with! In the first few weekends, a group of us in my program went to center city and just roamed the streets. We were all from outside the area, so it was nice getting to know the city together. Penn GSE does a great job of arranging opportunities to get to know the city. In the first month, I was able to do a city tour with Penn GSE that gave me ideas of places I would like to visit. The great thing about Philadelphia is that the food culture is great. You can find any type of food here; plus, there are lots of vegetarian and vegan options at every place. When transitioning here, the food scene was one of the ways I got to know the city because it led me to different places of the city. I also came from a place that was much warmer than Philadelphia. It’s just turning to constant cold here, so that is a new transition I am experiencing. I came prepared for this! Make sure to have long jackets, thermals, gloves, and earmuffs! Honestly, you can get used to the weather after some time. Keep in mind that it isn’t bitterly cold all the time. There has only been one snowfall of the year that lasted less than a day. It’s not as bad as people say! I’m keeping that positive mindset before going into January and February. Transitions are hard, but if you find your people, you’ll be able to make it!