When you move to a new state or country, many aspects of your life may change. That doesn't meant that you have to give up your most treasured hobbies--including LARP (live action role play). Here are some general and specific steps to take if you're looking to join a LARP in your new location.

General Tips

• Make a brief list of what you're looking for in a LARP. What are things you enjoyed or disliked about previous LARPs? 
• Decide whether you're willing to try an established LARP or if you want to limit yourself to new games only. Some LARPers find it difficult to fit into an established game depending on how low-level characters are handled. (See this article for more information.)
• Determine how far you are willing to travel for a LARP.
• When you find a potential new regular LARP, think of it as a trial. If it isn't a good fit, move on to another game until you find what works for you.

Specific Tips

• If you want to try something new or would like help in locating a LARP, consult the LARP Alliance. They have a great way of listing LARPs according to the type. This way, you can tell if a running game includes a great deal of combat, story or other features you might want to pursue or avoid.
• Consult Shade's List. Shade's provides a list of upcoming events and hosts a database of LARPs.
• Google potential LARPs and ask around--speak to your new friends or "gather information" at your local comic book store. This is a great way to find various opinions about games in your new area. Ask if the games are fair and whether they are run professionally.

If you are actively involved in LARPing and the LARP community, you know how wonderful it feels to be part of that experience. While you can't duplicate the same experience in your new location, you can make friends at new LARPs when you find the right setting.

Disclosure: Tara M. Clapper is on the staff at Seventh Kingdom IGE (cited here as a professionally-run game) and serves on the LARP Alliance Advisory Council (a recommended resource in this article).