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No matter what reason you have for moving to North Texas, whether your family is relocating from another area of the United States or you are just moving from a nearby community into a new home, you can experience a range of emotions. Stress, excitement, fear, elation, nervousness – the possibilities are endless. Follow these tips to help fit into your new neighborhood and its surroundings.

1. Introduce your family – Get out and meet your neighbors. Take the kids to the community pool or skate park. Snap a leash on your dog, grab your significant other, and go to the dog park, or just for a stroll around the block.
2. Know the local news – This will help you make small talk. A lot of communities have a Facebook group that you can join. Social media is a great way to get to know your neighbors as well as what’s going on in the community before you move into your new home.
3. Join a group – Find out what your community offers in the way of group activities, such as book clubs, wine tastings, or farmers’ markets. This is a great way to find a common thread to help you fit in with your neighbors.
4. Host a block party – Not only can you fit into your new neighborhood from the start, but you can also show off your culinary skills. If someone raves about a certain dish, like your grandma’s recipe for potato salad with a cayenne kick, win them over by offering to share the recipe.
5. Own up to mishaps – If your dog tears up your new neighbor’s prize azalea bushes or you forget to return the mallet you borrowed to install your newly monogrammed mailbox, own up to it and offer to make restitution to help fix the problem.
6. Be a good neighborhood watchman – A lot of communities have some form of neighborhood watch program. If your neighbor is going out of town on business or vacation, offer to help look after things like collecting the mail or daily newspaper delivery.
7. Reserve a tee time – North Texas has some awesome courses, so why not invite a neighbor or three out to knock around some golf balls? Just be sure you head out to the driving range to practice a few days beforehand so you can impress them with your swing.

Some people are standoffish when it comes to new people moving into the North Texas area. They blame the new people for rising house prices, more traffic, and as a result more air pollution. Getting involved in the community and giving back to it will not only help you feel more comfortable, but it will help your neighbors see that you are not so different than they are.