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By Nashville Indiana Title Company
Settling Into Your New Brown County Home The keys are finally in your hand. The moving truck pulled away hours ago, and now you're standing in your own ...
The keys are finally in your hand. The moving truck pulled away hours ago, and now you're standing in your own kitchen in Brown County, surrounded by boxes and wondering what to do first.
That feeling—equal parts excitement and overwhelm—is completely normal. Everyone who's moved here has stood exactly where you're standing, looking at the same mountain of cardboard and thinking the same thing: where do I even start?
Here's what actually matters in your first week as a Brown County homeowner, and what can wait.
Forget unpacking everything. Your only job today is making your home livable for tonight.
Find the box with your bedding and make your bed. Locate your toiletries. Figure out where you packed the coffee maker. That's it. Everything else can happen tomorrow or next week or next month.
Brown County has this way of slowing you down, and your first day as a homeowner is the perfect time to let that happen. If you moved from Indianapolis or Cincinnati, you might feel the urge to power through and get everything done immediately. Resist it. Walk outside. Look at your trees. Listen to how quiet it is.
Your boxes will still be there in the morning.
One of the best parts of your first week is discovering where everything is. Brown County operates differently than most places, and learning the rhythm takes a little exploration.
For groceries, Nashville has what you need for basics. Some folks make a weekly trip to Bloomington for bigger shopping runs, and that drive through the hills becomes part of the routine you'll eventually love.
Coffee is essential, especially when you're unpacking. Daily Grind Coffee House on South Van Buren has been here since 1977, and it's the kind of place where you'll start recognizing faces within a few visits. Common Grounds has a bookshop atmosphere with cozy nooks perfect for taking a break from moving chaos. Percy's Perk is a hidden gem with a "Design A Donut" experience that makes for a great reward after a morning of unpacking.
When you're too tired to cook (and you will be), Big Woods Pizza downtown makes an excellent first dinner in your new home. The Hob Nob Corner Restaurant has been a Nashville landmark since 1873, and their Hoosier tenderloin is worth experiencing early in your Brown County life.
Brown County neighbors tend to introduce themselves. Someone will probably wave from their yard or stop by within your first few days. This isn't just politeness—it's how the community works here.
Say yes to conversations, even when you have a hundred things to do. The person telling you about the best hiking trails or which road gets slick in winter is giving you information that will genuinely make your life easier.
If you moved to a rural property with some acreage, your neighbors might be a bit farther away, but the same warmth exists. A walk down your road or a wave from your driveway opens doors.
Your first week is the perfect time to drive around without a destination. Take State Road 46 in both directions and see what's nearby. Find the entrance to Brown County State Park—you'll be visiting often, and knowing exactly where to turn will come in handy.
Stop by the Brown County Art Gallery on Artist Drive. Even if you don't consider yourself an art person, understanding that Nashville has been an artist colony since the late 1800s helps explain why this place feels the way it does. The creative spirit here isn't just in galleries—it's in the way people build their homes, tend their gardens, and live their lives.
If you're up for it, walk downtown Nashville even if you already explored during your house hunt. It feels different now that you live here. The shops on Van Buren Street aren't just charming places to browse—they're where you'll run into people you know, where you'll pick up last-minute gifts, where you'll eventually have your favorite spots.
In your first week, you don't need to hang pictures, organize closets, or decide exactly where every piece of furniture will live permanently. You don't need to start a home improvement project or figure out landscaping.
What matters is settling in emotionally. Getting comfortable with the sounds your house makes at night. Learning which light switches control which lights. Finding the spot where your morning coffee tastes best.
If you bought a property with a well and septic system—common out here—you don't need to become an expert on either during week one. Just know where your well cap is located and where your septic tank sits in the yard. The rest you'll learn gradually.
By the time your first weekend arrives, the frantic unpacking energy starts to fade. This is when Brown County really starts to feel like home.
Take a hike in the state park. Trail 7 around Ogle Lake is a gentle 1.5 miles and absolutely beautiful. Drive out to Story, a tiny historic village south of Nashville, just to see it. Grab breakfast at Bird's Nest Café and sit with your coffee a little longer than you normally would.
The boxes can wait. The to-do list can wait. You moved to Brown County for a reason, and your first weekend is the time to remember what that reason was.
Welcome home.