Whether you need to find a good dentist or someone to watch a soccer game with, who'll cheer with your in your mother tongue, there's no need to feel isolated or alone in Reston.
Most expatriates who’ve moved to the Reston area will agree that there are an amazing number of folks that aren’t from here. Expatriates abound, and you’re almost more likely to meet people from elsewhere, at the store, mall or Starbucks, than those who originate from Virginia. Ironically, it makes an impression when someone says they were born and brought up here. It can prompt a spontaneous ‘wow …. a real Virginian’ which is tough to suppress.
Speaking from a career expatriate’s perspective, it’s amusing that the sight of a Union Jack or Scottish Saltire bumper sticker can create an excited flutter of the heart. It’s tempting to follow the car, and see where the occupants alight, just in case they might want to be friends.
Something about being away from home, makes home seem all the more special. Whilst it's both necessary and rewarding to integrate into the new local culture, like-minded people generally have a tendency to migrate towards each other, in a ‘birds of a feather-esque’ type manner. All of us need to feel that we can connect with other people who just get us. It's human nature.
Reston expats have been known to stake out the international aisle in Giant, lying in wait for fellow countrymen to identify themselves by reaching for a jar of Marmite or a box of PG Tips teabags. However, there are easier way to connect with kindred spirits in this area.
You can search by your interests on the local expatriate networking sites, and community information forums. There are groups ranging from theater enthusiasts who meet and attend Kennedy Center events to foodies who meet to eat. You’ll find wine tasting groups that visit the large selection of wineries in Loudoun County and 'meet-up' groups that hike the Appalachian Trail together. For something more sedate, there’s a French group that meets at Cafe Montmarte, in Lake Anne, every few weeks for a Parlez Francais evening.
Meetup.com is a platform from which you can connect with Reston expats from Italy, Canada, the Caribbean, South Africa, France, India, Portugal and more.
For Reston Brits, British Expats is a great resource, and when you move here as a newbie can not only connect you with other Brits but can also help you to locate everything from doctors to plumbers, home help and employment.
Seek out these types of forums and you’re bound to connect with someone in the same boat. Good luck!
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