<p>also, jc40: thinking ahead a bit to shorter school breaks and vacation times, make sure your student has enough clothing at home and at school so she can travel back and forth without carrying along a lot of wardrobe. We drove our son to school in the fall with our van and went to get him at the end of the school year, and we now know we brought too much stuff-be selective about that. Also don’t be afraid to pitch stuff or give it away at the end of the year if it becomes inconvenient to carry- a $20 rug that’s dirty and takes up a lot of room in the car may not be worth keeping, all things considered.
As for NOVA vs. the rest of Virginia: NOVA really refers to the suburbs of Washington, DC. This area is more cosmopolitan, diverse, densely populated, and affluent than the rest of Virginia (in general terms) so there is a bit of a cultural divide there with the rest of the state.</p>