How to Fall in Love with Your City

I don't think I have told Chelsea this before, but hers was one of the blogs I read before I started a blog. We were at a similar place in our lives, and I've always loved her inspirational posts and sense of humor! Now, she's a great blog friend, and I always look forward to her posts. Thanks for sharing a great post with my readers today, Chelsea! :)

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Hi friends! My name is Chelsea and I blog over at The Girl Who Loved to Write.
I started following Olya's blog forever ago. I noticed that her husband was also in medical school and that he was the year above mine, so I loved getting her perspective on what was to come. Now that we've both made it out of the med-school phase of life (YAY), one thing we have in common is that we've both had to move for our husband's medical careers. 
Falling in love with your city takes some work, whether you've just moved somewhere or you've lived there for ages. But it is possible! Here are some ways I've found that work for me.

Step out of your comfort zone. Whether you've lived in your city for years or you've just moved there, you're not going to fall in love with it by staying inside your house and not pushing yourself to try new things. It can be uncomfortable, but after the first few times of pushing yourself, it only gets easier!
So step out of your comfort zone! Go to events in your area, even if you normally don't go places alone. Get coffee and strike up a conversation with your barista. Join a small group or a book club. Even if you're introverted (like me!), you can do it!
Look up reviews as if you didn't live in your city. When you're on vacation and want to find somewhere to eat, chances are you don't go to a chain you already know about. You research! You yelp and google and find out where people's favorite places are. So why not do that for your own city? Test out the brunch place with the highest ratings and see if you agree. Try out the happy hour with live music. Grab a beer at the hole-in-the-wall place you would have never thought to try. If other people in your city liked it, chances are, you will too.  
Seek out the things you like. It's so easy to just say, "This town doesn't have a lot that I like." And just leave it at that. A moment of honesty: Falling in love with your city sometimes takes a little bit of work. 
So do the work. If you love reading, look up bookstores near you. And for goodness sake, get a library card! If you love getting fancy, look up wine tastings. If shopping is your thing, look up boutiques. 
So many times we say there's nothing to do where we live, but a more truthful statement would be, "I haven't stumbled upon anything I love on my drive home from work." A little bit of effort can result in a lot of new favorites!
Stay positive. If you move to a new place convinced you will hate it, chances are, you'll hate it. If you tell yourself that you've lived in your city for six years so you know all there is to know, you'll never make fun new discoveries. 
Whether you've just moved somewhere new or you've lived in a city that's not your favorite for years, a little bit of positivity can shine a fresh light on things. View the time you get to spend here as an adventure, and it will quickly turn into an adventure. 
What are some ways you've fallen in love with a city before?