How It Feels to Adjust to a New Area as a Missionary
Your first days in a new area can feel like your senses are turned all the way up. New streets. New stores. New accents. New everything. Even normal errands can feel difficult.
On my first P-day in Barbados, I learned something that helped me adjust faster than I expected: you don’t need to “feel at home” right away. You just need a few steady anchors that make the new place feel less overwhelming.
This is the story of that first P-day, plus a few practical things I’d tell any new missionary stepping into a new area for the first time.
My First P-Day in Barbados Helped Me Adjust
That morning, we went grocery shopping. COVID precautions in Barbados were intense with temperature checks at the entrance, sanitizer before you even stepped inside, and security at the doors. I’m talking big burly guys with guns at the entrance to the grocery store! It was one of those moments where you realize: Oh… I’m not just in a new area. I’m in a new culture and it feels like a new world.
The store had most of what you’d expect, but even small differences stood out; like how everything was double the price to what I was used to in the United States.
After groceries, we went home and I called my family. I missed them a lot, but it was also one of the most grounding parts of my week. Hearing familiar voices reminded me who I was before I ever stepped off the plane and helped me carry that confidence into the rest of the day.
Later, we went to the Oistin’s Fish Fry and bought grilled marlin and swordfish with sides. We took our food to the beach, sat on a blanket, and ate while the breeze came in. The sand was unbelievably soft, and it had tiny ground seashell pieces that made it look like it had pink and orange sprinkled through it.
We laughed, talked, and even made a mermaid tail in the sand just for fun.
After that, we went to the church in Black Rock (my branch building) and played Uno and Signs with the elders. There were locals playing cricket outside, and it was honestly just fun to watch.
Then we went home, I finished some emails, and just like that, P-day was over and we were back to teaching.
It wasn’t a “big” day on paper. But it gave me something I really needed: a much-needed break in a place that still felt so unfamiliar.
5 Simple Ways to Adjust to a New Area (Especially Your First Week)
Here’s what I’d tell a brand-new missionary who’s trying to settle in without feeling overwhelmed.
Way #1: Choose One Anchor That Stays the Same
When everything changes at once, your brain looks for stability. Give it one reliable thing.
Examples:
- Call home on the same day each week (this is so important!)*
- Journal about your honest experiences (even 5 minutes)
- Scripture study in the same spot every morning
- A short walk after lunch
- A simple P-day routine you repeat
You’re not doing this because you’re rigid. You’re doing it because routine lowers stress. This will help you adjust to a new area quicker.
*Before I left on my mission, my Stake President reminded me to make sure that I call home every single week. Rarely did I miss a week and this routine call helped me find my own sense of normal despite transfers and constant changes.
Way #2: Do One Normal Errand on Purpose
Grocery shopping sounds boring until you’re doing it in a new country, new currency, new layout, new everything.
That’s exactly why it helps.
A “normal” errand teaches you:
- where things are
- what food is available
- what’s considered normal there
- how confident you feel in public
- what you need to plan for next time
If you want to adjust faster, learn the basics early.
Shopping** was such a surreal experience for me. Soon, it become a comfort place to find my favorite snacks and meals for the week. Try something new each week while you are out shopping. Some of the local foods that are unusual now might become your next craving!
**We mainly did our grocery shopping at Massy Stores in Barbados
Way #3: Notice Details Instead of Judging Differences
Early on, it’s easy to label things as “weird,” “hard,” or “not like home.” Try swapping judgment for observation.
Instead of:
- “This is so different.”
Try: - “This is how they do it here.”
On the beach, I noticed the sand texture, the colors, the shells, the breeze. These tiny details made Barbados feel real and beautiful, not just unfamiliar.
Bajans are proud of their island and are not afraid to share what makes them unique. Ask some of the locals about what they love about their area. The locals know where all the good spots are!
Way #4: Letting Yourself Have Joy
It’s okay to laugh. It’s okay to enjoy the beach. It’s okay to eat good food. It’s okay to make a mermaid tail in the sand.
Joy doesn’t cancel your purpose. It supports it.
If you never allow yourself to feel happy in your new place, you’ll start resenting it. Joy is part of staying emotionally healthy on the mission.
Joy can be harder to find when you’re caught up in the bad. Chances are you know someone in your new area that loves this place with all their heart. What do they see that you don’t? Make the choice to find joy in the small things. When there is gratitude, joy is not far behind.
Way #5: Recognize Your “Safe People”
Playing Uno with the elders at the church seems small, but it mattered. It helped me feel connected, supported, and less alone.
Find people you can exhale around:
- your companion
- missionaries in your zone
- branch/ward members you trust
- leaders who make you feel safe
You don’t need a huge circle. You just need a few steady people.
Give everyone a chance. Depending on the mission, rumors about people might spread. Ignore them. Some of the people I cherish and love the most I met on my mission and they didn’t always get along with other missionaries. You may not get along with everyone, but finding those certain people that you trust can create long-lasting bonds.
If You’re A New Missionary, Try This Your First P-Day
Here’s a simple P-day reset routine you can copy:
- Do one practical errand (groceries, laundry, supplies)
- Call home (or send messages/voice notes)
- Do one “beauty moment” (beach, sunset, park, scenic drive)
- Spend time with safe people (missionaries, members, low-pressure hangout)
- Write 5 lines in your journal:
- 1 thing that surprised me
- 1 thing I’m grateful for
- 1 person I’m thinking about
- 1 thing I learned
- 1 thing I want to do better next week
That’s it. Simple on purpose.
A Reminder for Missionaries Learning to Adjust to a New Area
The first week is not a test of how strong you are. It’s a transition. And transitions are allowed to feel awkward.
You don’t have to feel “settled” right away.
Just build a few anchors, notice the good, stay close to safe people, and let the Lord teach you how to love where you are.