I made it!

[dentsflogged 352]

39 minutes ago, N-o-l-a said:

 

Can I have a little giggle over 8000 being pretty small?  1000 is a large town where I live.  I was in one this weekend that had a population of 80 and that can be pretty typical, like around 50-400 people in a town.

I mean, you can... but I grew up in a "small" city of 1.1 million (which is the 5th largest city in my home country) and currently live in a city of 4.5 million.  To me 8,000 is incredibly small, so I guess it's all relative?   

 

I'm not at all used to 8,000 being called a "city" even - it'd be a mid-sized country town for us, but I'm told that by definition in the US it IS a city, so I just smile & nod.

[debbiedoo 2,339]

3 hours ago, N-o-l-a said:

 

Can I have a little giggle over 8000 being pretty small?  1000 is a large town where I live.  I was in one this weekend that had a population of 80 and that can be pretty typical, like around 50-400 people in a town.

lol i was thinking the same. Our town is 1200 people, and decreasing by the day. 

[ImagineMe 35]

Following this thread as I noticed this since it will have significance and ideas when my fiance gets here to Michigan. Hopefully mine will be fine with going on bike rides often as I live near a major highway with a bike trail going all the way up it. But this will give me some insight on what to expect her to go through. Hard to dig through pages without it occasionally coming up.

Thanks for posting it

[ErwinML 1]

22 hours ago, madiartzer said:

Crossed the border 2 weeks ago with my K1 visa. Just wondering what other people did to pass the time while their SO is at work.

Not being able to work combined with not having a car and living in a really tiny town with nothing to do has made me catch cabin fever quite quickly. 

Tired of watching movies, and TV until my fiancé comes home. I try to talk to some of my friends and family back home, but they all work too of course. Just starting to feel a bit lonely and hate being so dependent. Figured I’d come talk about it here where someone else might get it too, and may be able to offer advice.

I know how it feels I was soooo frustrated of being all day long inside  of  four walls and one roof,but it is worth it after I waited 5 months to get my permint to work  then I started working ,and  everything changed because I could get my own money,got my things and a car of course thing that is very important here so you can go out more and get to know the sorroundings

[pajobra 1,395]

I have been here 8 months now and I still go stir crazy at times. I got my EAD in May but due to the SSN not being able to verify my married name in SAVE so they can't change my name and I can't work. Ah well. Anyway I volunteer at the library which is 20 minutes walking for me. It has helped me meet some people and do some networking too. I came from a small village of 300 and moved to a city of 500,000. I have lived in cities before though. We do have a bus system here but it isn't the greatest. My husband has the car for work everyday. I do a lot of cooking right now. Been filling up our freezer with homemade freezer meals, I also crochet, knit, play computer games and watch netflix. I bought a puzzle last week and figure I will tackle that next. 

Edited July 4, 2018 by pajobra

[TBoneTX 43,326]

A post has been removed, and administrative action applied, because of a personal attack against another member.

 

VJ Moderation

[Little_Vixen 1,869]

The town I grew up in has a little less than 7000 people in it, my fiancé's town has a little over 7000 so I'll feel right at home. I'd love to move out to the country though, out to the middle of nowhere. That has always been a dream of mine (the cabin in the woods or 'hutje op de hei' as we say in Dutch). Gotta get the kids out of the house first though.

Funny fact, the small community I lived in up until last week has, according to the census, 100 people. There's only 15 houses so I'm not sure where they're all hiding, lol.

 

Anyway. Back on topic.

Like a previous poster mentioned, the smaller the community the more likely people will love to get to know you better. Depending on the part of the country you could also try your local church. I believe in gods and not necessarily in the church, but the church isn't all worship and halleluja's. It's very different from the churches I am used to in the Netherlands. It's a network, more like a family. They serve as a local meeting point, like the old village waterwell used to back in the old days, where people go to meet and catch up with each other. They usually do a lot of charities and activities too. Plenty to keep someone busy.

 

My fiancé is stocking up on books.

He knows I had to leave a huge library full of books (fantasy, history, ect) cause shipping it was too much. Every time he takes the kids running around they visit the 2nd hand bookstore and he comes back with another 5 to 10 books for me. Sometimes even more.  I feel so blessed whenever he surprises me with another stack of books. He could buy me all the gold an silver in the world but the books show me he truly knows what makes me happy.

[madiartzer 41]

12 hours ago, Little_Vixen said:

The town I grew up in has a little less than 7000 people in it, my fiancé's town has a little over 7000 so I'll feel right at home. I'd love to move out to the country though, out to the middle of nowhere. That has always been a dream of mine (the cabin in the woods or 'hutje op de hei' as we say in Dutch). Gotta get the kids out of the house first though.

Funny fact, the small community I lived in up until last week has, according to the census, 100 people. There's only 15 houses so I'm not sure where they're all hiding, lol.

 

Anyway. Back on topic.

Like a previous poster mentioned, the smaller the community the more likely people will love to get to know you better. Depending on the part of the country you could also try your local church. I believe in gods and not necessarily in the church, but the church isn't all worship and halleluja's. It's very different from the churches I am used to in the Netherlands. It's a network, more like a family. They serve as a local meeting point, like the old village waterwell used to back in the old days, where people go to meet and catch up with each other. They usually do a lot of charities and activities too. Plenty to keep someone busy.

 

My fiancé is stocking up on books.

He knows I had to leave a huge library full of books (fantasy, history, ect) cause shipping it was too much. Every time he takes the kids running around they visit the 2nd hand bookstore and he comes back with another 5 to 10 books for me. Sometimes even more.  I feel so blessed whenever he surprises me with another stack of books. He could buy me all the gold an silver in the world but the books show me he truly knows what makes me happy.

Yeah, thankfully last Sunday we found a church to go to, and I look forward to going more!

[acidrain 325]

I immigrated on an IR-1 so I have the option to work and have a car. But my little one just started school so the first few months felt kind of lonely.

 

I joined a few social groups and met up with people who have similar interests. My first outing believe or not was a protest lol. I even found another Canadian who lives not that far. A lot of people have day jobs so I have met up with them after work. Having a network of friends is important because it gives you something outside of your relationship. I found myself a bit too clingy to my spouse and started to depend on him too much for my entertainment.

 

Volunteering is another option as others have mentioned. Even getting out a day or two a week you might find rewarding. If you have hobbies you can always find ways to pass the time. I love flowers and planting and bought a few pots to put outside. I introduced myself to my neighbors and over time we have gotten to know each other. I'm not sure how rural you are but meeting your neighbors might be good. If you have a local church you could try to meet up with some people.