I can still remember moving from McLean to Reston. We had been renting an apartment near Tyson's Corner.
McLean was a great location, but there was nothing affordable for sale. We started looking, and it was clear that Reston was as close in as we could afford.
Reston had all the things needed. It was convenient to work. That was especially the case for me since my work was at Apple over on Preston White Drive.
Reston also felt safe and there were trees, lots of services, and a number of reasonably priced places to eat. Also when we got up in the morning, you felt a little protected from the world of traffic jams and beltway news. The townhouse seemed to offer a little preserve of sanity in a world that moved pretty fast.
Reston turned out to be a good place to live. No place is perfect, but given the alternatives in Northern Virginia, Reston is and was a good place to call home.
As a Realtor® I often talk to people who are deciding where to live. We all have different things that make us happy. Those things change over time. After I graduated from college, I moved to Canada and ended up running a cattle operation for ten years. It was not what I had planned to do, but inexpensive land, the desire to work out of doors, and the need to challenge the wilderness made Canada the right spot.
At the time I also loved cold weather and snow. There were few things that I enjoyed more than a good snow storm. We all change, and as I have aged, having six inches of freshly fallen snow for cross country skiing is not longer a high priority. That was one of the reasons we moved back to the states.
Having access to federal contractors and high level government executives is also farther down the list today. So living in Reston is also not my first choice.
What I do want is to walk outside in the morning and not have my system jolted by cold weather. I really miss living in Canada, but I do not miss the cold weather.
Walking out my door this morning and finding the temperature already at almost 65 degrees at 8 am is just about right. While we have some great friend living in Edmonton, Alberta, you know it is cold there if your wake up temperature is more than triple theirs.
Seeing a White Heron in the distance from the dock behind my house is just icing on the cake. In addition to being in the midst of natural beauty in a temperate climate, I enjoy the seven minutes of my commute to work.
Part of the commute is through farmland and the rest is down the two lanes of Highway 58 which crosses over the marshes of the White Oak River and and through some pieces of Croatan National Forest. Before I get down to the stoplight and make the turn onto the four lanes of Route 24, I pass a boat dealership, a golf cart dealer, and one of our favorite restaurants.
Our four lane road is nothing like a four lane road in Northern Virginia. It is much less crowded, and in the space of a few hundred yards, I get to drive by our combined bank, liquor store, and police department. The new, almost completed Walgreen's stands silently in front of our video store, Chinese Restaurant, Lowe's Grocery, and Lowe's Home Improvement.
Then just across the road from our office is our church. Though we live a little ways out in the country, our world is a neat, nicely contained neighborhood that makes me feel comfortable. I am pleased to be living here. All the services that I can think of are nearby, and there are few places more beautiful.
The services, weather, and scenery are not the only reasons, but they are important ones.
My favorite reason for being here is if I miss the turn onto the four lane road, I end up over at Emerald Isle stuck enjoying the beaches.
The fact that a mistake in my commute can put me on the beach is a pretty good indication that I am living in the right spot for me.
