Loudoun 101: Welcome to Loudoun

 Most of you reading this were not born in Loudoun. The last 40 years have been a time of tremendous growth and change for the county. The old Loudoun was largely a farming community, but over time it has transitioned into a thriving suburban community with a growing business and commercial center all its own.

 I’m not native to Loudoun either. My family moved to Sterling Park in 1972, and the first little development community embraced our small family of Texans. At that time, there was precious little in the area. The road from Sterling to Leesburg had a nice forest view, but not much else. We put down roots and made a life here.

 In some parts of the world, we’d still be the new family, but for Loudoun County—we might as well have come aboard the Mayflower. While the transient nature of modern life can be a little unnerving to some, it also allows for a community that understands what it is to be the new kid in class and does its best to welcome the newcomers.

 Wait five years, and you’re a Loudoun native.

 You’re likely to hear many folks proudly state, “I moved here (blank) years ago” as if claiming to be among the original settlers, fleeing European tyranny and subtly displacing the Native Americans. Because the area has seen such tremendous growth, many residents will recall the changes in the area just over the last five to six years. Sometimes growth leads to growing pains, but most Loudouners have learned to embrace it.

 Because the natives are vastly out numbers by the transplants, there’s a sense of camaraderie among the newcomers and the feeling that the community we have is one that we’ve built.  It’s our Loudoun.

 For those of you coming, returning or staying here to build your own family, let me assure you of one thing. At least for me, Loudoun was a wonderful place to grow up. It had its challenges like everything else, but I’m proud to call it home.

 It’s also a good place for your kids to return to. Even suffering under the current economic problems, the region has survived a bit easier than the rest of the country and there are jobs to be had here. As I say often, Loudoun has allowed me to keep in touch with most of the friends I’ve made in life. The majority of my high school friends are still in the area and most of my college friends ended up in Northern Virginia, because that’s where the jobs are.

 As I noted above, we’re an area of immigrants—and whether you’ve come from Fairfax or Frankfurt, Dallas or New Delhi—we want you to feel at home. Whether you’re new to the area or whether your family tilled the red clay of Virginia for generations, I hope this “Loudoun 101” guide tells you a something about the county that you didn’t know before.

 Now, get out of the house and take a look around. There really are some exciting things to see.

- John Geddie

Editor, Loudoun Independent