Do you live alone in Nova without any family close by? (homes, job market)

[ohsopiggy]

I ran away from home at 19 (8 years ago) and started a new life on my own since then. No support of family.
Be strong, you can do it.

[CarolVa1977]

Originally Posted by nycgal212

I will be relocating to NoVa soon without knowing a single soul in the area. Most of my family and friends either in Conn, or NY...

I came down to Virginia for the first time a couple of weeks ago for a 2 week training session, and was placed in a nice hotel in Arlington, and though im still young and pretty sociable person. It is hard not knowing anyone.. But I do have to say people in Virginia are really nice (unlike NYC where you have to be very weary of the person who is being friendly cause u think they want something from ya.. hahah)





I wish I could have coworkers to hang out with but my job description if I had to describe it, is like being a traveling salesman... so my only interaction from people from work are clients... Ya Im hoping to find a good small bible group for now though.

WELCOME TO NOVA!!!

I am also kind of alone in this area, but i have made friends through the school, hobbies and church!

[stpickrell]

Both sets of parents are in the area (Shenandoah Valley).

I grew up in Front Royal, my wife in Springfield.

We've made some friends in our three years in Vienna, but hardly any in our eight years in Arlington.

Considering a move to Leesburg, she is not sold on it, whereas I'm all up for it.

[South Jersey Styx]

I moved here alone over 20 yrs ago (from NJ), first to DC then NoVA. But have made many friends since then. I do miss my family but I have a good life here. Good luck!

[katyusha25]

I moved here by myself last September; but I met my boyfriend a week and a half after I got here, so I've been fortunate enough to have him and his family there for me.

Without him, I'm pretty sure I'd be hating life. Well, sort of.

[queenswake]

I moved here a month before 2001 as a 22 year-old. I didn't know a single soul here, or anywhere closer than Boston. Not only was it hard moving somewhere where I didn't know anyone, it was also kind of hard dealing with 9/11 alone.

Family is one of the main reasons I'm getting ready to move back to Minnesota. I don't have a close enough circle of friends here that provide what family can.

[seiketsu]

No family in the area. Sometimes it sucks because I don't have a built-in social network for holidays and such, but mostly I don't feel lonely. Being introverted and a loner has a lot to do with that. The biggest issue is that the cost of living here is so punishing to single people, especially if you have to pay for stuff nearby family could help out with (I don't have children, but childcare is a major expense that comes to mind, as well as handyman-type stuff family members took care of when they lived nearby). Every once in a while I contemplate picking up a roommate, but then I remember how disastrous every attempt to live with someone not related to me has been.

[Teebyrd86]

No family here but not too far away in Richmond. I moved here from Roanoke after two years of living there. I moved there when I was 20... living away from family is a hard pill to swallow at first especially if you are close to them but it seems you just get use to it after a while. I can say that it was much easier for me to meet friends in Roanoke but it took a while here, and that is what I hear from a lot of people. I was fortunate to find some good friends here and build meaningful relationships with them. Without friends I doubt I would be anywhere near as happy as I am now. Just stay positive, I still have bored nights (like tonight) but there will be a time in our life where we will come to appreciate those bored nights a little. Good luck and PM me if you have any questions about the area.

[SteelCityRising]

I lived in Reston for a year-and-a-half and was a few hundred miles from my nearest family in Scranton, PA. I consistently struggled to amass a "surrogate" second family in NoVA to no avail. I came pretty close through finding a close-knit church in Herndon; however, I found most of my peers and colleagues to only want to get "so" close before putting up barriers and backing away. I've only now been living in Pittsburgh for less than three months, but I already have a partner and numerous close friends whom I regard as a second family.

[terrence81]

Technically I'm not completely alone here. I'm not what many would call a "family man". I have one distant cousin in Prince William county but I had never met him before I moved up here nearly 3 years ago.

So I have basically been on my own up here. I have made friends and gone on lots of dates. I'm trying new approaches to find platonic friends which isn't easy (hooking up is much easier than finding an actual friend). Yet I don't really feel alone I keep myself busy and its rare that I'm home alone with nothing to do unless its my choosing.

So my suggestion is to put yourself out there join clubs and organizations.