Lifestyle

Relocating To Austin? Tips for a Safe and Successful Move

Published

5 years ago

February 28, 2021

Whether you’re pursuing higher education, accepting a job offer, moving closer to loved ones, or simply want a chance of scenery, relocating to Austin, Texas, is a fantastic choice. As excited as you are to embark on this new venture, you can’t help but think about the stress of moving. From finding a place to stay and tying up loose ends to packing your things and getting adjusted, there’s a lot that needs to be done. To top it off, you’ll have to handle these things in the middle of a pandemic.

Is it safe to move right now? If so, what precautions should you take? Chances are you’ve thought about things like this and more as you prepare for your move. Before panic sets in, causing you to give up on the idea altogether, consider these steps to make relocating to Austin a bit smoother.

Get The Facts

The country’s status in the fight against the coronavirus changes every day. Therefore, you must keep up with current events. Before deciding when you’ll move to Austin, you need the facts. Review the city and state’s official sites for the latest number of cases and any rules or regulations for relocating to the area. You should also reach out to the moving company to find out what requirements they have to follow. Knowing this information ensures that you are in compliance and, therefore, safe.

Look Into Temporary Housing

Finding a home or apartment in the middle of a pandemic is daunting. If you’re scheduled to move soon but haven’t secured a permanent residence, there are other options. If you have friends or family in Austin, you can ask to stay at their place until you iron things out. Another idea would be to look at furnished apartments in Austin. If you’re a college student waiting on housing or you’re due to start your new job in a few weeks, the flexible leasing options give you a roof over your head while you figure out what’s next.

Take Advantage of Online Services

Transitioning from one place to another goes beyond packing your boxes. From turning off utilities to changing your address, there are several steps to getting adjusted to your new town. As a measure of safety, you should take advantage of online services. Many tasks can now be completed online to save you time and reduce your exposure to the coronavirus. You can request health and educational records to be transferred digitally, change your address with the US postal service, and even schedule for utilities to be shut off or on without leaving your home.

Moving Precautions

There are several risks associated with moving. As such, you should take precautions. For starters, hire a moving company that has taken steps to safeguard their customers. You should also avoid using recycled boxes, sanitize your belongings before packing them, and wear PPE when interacting with movers. Once you arrive at your new place, clean and sanitize the entire space before unpacking.

Quarantine

You might be excited about exploring Austin once you’ve arrived, but you’ll have to put those plans on hold. The best thing for you and everyone else is to quarantine for a few days to ensure you haven’t contracted the coronavirus. This is especially true for individuals that reside in heavily impacted states. Though it will be hard, do your best to stay indoors. Use this time to unpack and create a comfortable living space. If you’re not experiencing any symptoms after a few days, schedule an appointment to get tested. Once you’ve been given the all-clear, then you can explore the city any way you’d like without putting yourself or anyone else at risk.

There are so many wonderful things that make Austin the perfect place to call home. Whatever your reason for making a move, you must take precautions. As the national pandemic continues to wreak havoc, you want to ensure that you remain safe. From educating yourself on current pandemic news to quarantining for a few days after you arrive, each of these tips will help make your new venture easier to manage.

Lifestyle

When Seasons Shift: Dr. Leeshe Grimes on Grief, Loneliness, and Finding Light Again

Published

3 days ago

February 22, 2026

Michelle Langton

Some emotional storms arrive without warning. A sudden change in weather, a holiday approaching, or even a bright sunny day can stir feelings that don’t match the world outside. For many people, the hardest seasons are not defined by temperature; they are defined by what’s happening inside, where grief and loneliness often move quietly.

This is the emotional terrain where Dr. Leeshe Grimes has spent her career doing some of her most meaningful work. As a psychotherapist, registered play therapist, retired U.S. Army combat veteran, and founder of Elevated Minds in the DMV area, she understands how deeply seasonal shifts and unresolved grief can affect people. Her upcoming books explore this very space, guiding readers through the emotional weight that can appear during different times of the year.

What sets Dr. Grimes apart is her ability to see clearly what many people overlook. Seasonal depression, for example, is usually tied to winter months. But she often sees it appear during warm, bright seasons, the times when the world seems happiest. For someone already grieving or feeling disconnected, watching others travel, celebrate, or gather can create its own kind of heaviness. Sunshine doesn’t always lift the mood; sometimes it highlights what feels missing.

The same misunderstanding surrounds grief. Society often treats it as a short-term experience with predictable phases and a clean ending. But in her practice, Dr. Grimes sees how grief keeps evolving. It doesn’t disappear on a timeline. It weaves itself into routines, memories, and milestones. People learn to carry it differently, but they rarely leave it behind completely. And that’s not failure, it’s human.

Her approach to mental health centers on truth rather than pressure. She encourages clients to acknowledge the emotions they try to hide: sadness that lingers longer than expected, moments of joy that feel out of place, and the waves of loneliness that return even when life seems stable. Instead of pushing for quick recovery, she focuses on helping people understand how emotions shift and how to care for themselves through those changes.

Much of her insight comes from her military years, where she witnessed the emotional toll of loss, transition, and constant survival. She saw how people continued functioning while carrying pain that had nowhere to go. That experience shaped her belief that healing requires space, space to feel, to speak, and to move through emotions without judgment.

In her clinical work today at Elevated Minds, she encourages people to build small, steady habits that anchor them during difficult seasons. Journaling helps them recognize patterns and name what feels heavy. Community support breaks the cycle of isolation. Therapy creates a place where emotions don’t have to be minimized or explained away. And intentional routines, daily sunlight, mindful breaks, and calm evenings help rebuild emotional balance.

Her upcoming books expand on these ideas, offering practical guidance for navigating both grief and seasonal depression. She focuses on helping readers understand that healing is not about escaping pain. It’s about learning how to live with it in a healthier way, honoring memories, acknowledging loneliness, and still allowing room for moments of light.

What makes Dr. Leeshe Grimes a compelling voice in mental health is her ability to bring language to experiences that many struggle to explain. She reminds people that emotional seasons don’t always match the weather and that there is no single path through grief. But within those shifts, she believes there is always a way forward.

The seasons will continue to change. And with the right tools, compassion, and support, people can change with them, finding steadiness, softness, and light again, one step at a time.