The first meal in a new home makes a claim that unpacked boxes cannot.

Cooking the first meal in a new place claims it in a way that unpacking does not. Boxes are just objects relocated; using the kitchen makes the space do something for you, and that changes it from a place you are in to a place you live. The claim is made through use rather than through arrangement.

So when you move, cook something early, even badly, even on the floor. The same applies to any new territory: a role, a group, a routine. The sense of belonging tends to follow doing the ordinary things there, rather than preceding it. Waiting to feel settled before acting settled usually extends the waiting.