Collaboration

**Looking for a group you can write with *whilst sipping your fave coffee*?** ☕✍️ Then come join **Shut Up & Write!** on **Saturday, February 14th from 1:30pm to 4:00pm** at **Ridgetop Coffee & Tea**! Whether you're cranking out a novel, journaling, looking for new friends, or just trying to get that stubborn paragraph right—we’ve got a cozy seat and a supportive group waiting for you! **No critiques, no peer review, no pressure—just a chill space to get words on the page.** 📝 **What to expect:** 1:30–2:00pm – Grab your coffee or tea, find your seat, and meet your fellow writers. 2:00pm–3:30pm – Silent, focused writing time 3:30–4:00pm – Debrief, celebrate any writing wins, commiserate on any obstacles, and head out feeling accomplished. **RSVP Info:** The room seats only 8 people comfortably! RSVP as soon as possible to secure your spot!! If you are unable to attend, please cancel your reservation **ASAP** so those on the wait list are able to RSVP and attend!!! **Meeting Room:** Enter the coffee shop, walk straight towards the play area and on your left you will see a meeting room just past the bathrooms. The room has a TV, white board, and walls are painted green. **What to Bring:** Whatever helps you focus, and be productive. There is a wall outlet at each end of the room, so you're able to bring your laptop to write. You're welcome to bring headphones if you enjoy listening to music while working. **Parking & Accessibility:** there is a large parking lot out front and it is free! There are no stair cases when entering the coffee shop or when inside. This coffee shop is incredibly spacious with many seating options. If you have any questions, please message me through MeetUp. I'm happy to help. **Dietary Information:** many GF, Vegan, and SF options. Just ask your barista when ordering for specifics! Can’t wait to see you there! 🎉

**A relaxed, good-vibe Valentine’s Day afternoon for adults who don’t want the pressure, awkwardness, or heaviness today.** Not a dating event. Not a support group. Just a warm room, good people, and simple **conversation games that make it easy to meet others who are also starting fresh.** If Valentine’s Day feels weird, quiet, or emotionally loaded this year, spend it in a space where you can actually laugh, feel lighter, and connect with grounded adults who get it. *** **🔍 What You’ll Experience** • Simple partner rotations (guided and easy) • Light, feel-good Valentine’s prompts **• Fun conversation games (not cheesy, not romantic)** • A mix of divorced and separated adults in similar life chapters • A comfortable, pressure-free room • Good energy without oversharing or awkward silence **Everything is structured. You show up — the flow does the rest.** *** **💼 Who It’s For** • Divorced adults • Separated adults • People navigating midlife transitions • Anyone starting fresh and not wanting to spend Feb 14 alone Most attendees are in their **late 30s to mid 50s** — grounded, normal people who want something better to do today than sit at home replaying the past. This is a chance to be around others in similar seasons without labels, pressure, or expectations. *** **✅ Location, Cost & Time** 📍 **Rented facility:** **Ashburn (zip 20147)** — exact address shared after RSVP 🕒 **2:00 PM – 4:00 PM** 💵 **$15 per person —** feel free to bring a guest (just have them RSVP separately). ☕ **Coffee + light snacks provided** *** **🎯 The Vibe** Think: **calm, warm, easy, friendly, real.** Not romantic. Not forced. Just a space where people talk, laugh, and feel human again on a day that can feel heavy. **And if a natural connection happens — great.** If not, you still walk away lighter than you came. **✅ Space is limited to keep the room comfortable and conversational.** RSVP if you’d like to join this small-group Valentine’s gathering. 🌐 Explore more: [https://midlifereinvention.co](https://midlifereinvention.co)

** You must RSVP and pay to Play!!! **COST:** $10 ***RSVP ends 4:30pm every Friday*** **WAITLIST:** *\*First Pay and you're in!* **NO credits are given for this event! **Payment deadline: 4:30 PM** *\*\*WALK ONS after 4:30pm will pay an extra $5.\*\** NO DISCOUNTS FOR FRIDAY NIGHT MINI * **Venmo:** @no-panic-volleyball (PREFERRED) * **Zelle:** serve@nopanicvolleyball.com * **STATE WHAT EVENT YOU ARE PAYING FOR** * Players bringing guests must submit payment for themselves and their guests. Note their names in the payment notes. * Individual payments from guests will be returned. * No Team Requests - one person sign up and submit one payment for you and your guest. **WORK TEAM REQUIREMENTS:** * Players must provide an up referee and down referee during work team assignments. Knowledge of current USAV rules is required. *Machine middle is NOT a USAV rule!* **LATE ARRIVAL:** Arrival after 15 minutes of start time, you will be dropped. No refunds will be given. * If arrangements are made for your team, you may be excused. Once schedules are made, the opposing teams will accrue points at the work team's discretion. Minimum 5 players may compete. **EARLY DISMISSAL:** If you do not complete your evening playing or working for your peers, you will be noted and removed from this meetup. **POSITIVE SPORTSMANSHIP:** We encourage a positive environment and proper etiquette. Opponent acknowledge after matches is mandatory and human. Work teams must be fulfilled: * up ref, down ref, scorekeeper, 2 line judges. * Failure to complete the work team, will be noted and is not proper sportsmanship. * It's also a good time to analyze other teams and learn something! * Leaving at the end of the night after a loss and not working for final teams, will not be tolerated. **PLEASE NOTE THE EVENT IN THE PAYMENT NOTES** *This meetup maxes at 63 people with a max of 7 players per team. 3 teams max on one court with the 3rd team being the work team. We expect work teams to call lines, doubles, carries, line and net violations. To uphold the standard of play in our gym, it is imperative to learn the rules of competition.* **Location:** 7410 Merritt Park Dr, Suite 100, Manassas, VA 20109 **Max Players:** 63 ***SKILL-WISE, does this sound like you?*** * 2.0 COMPETITIVE PLAYER: Pass 1.3 serve receive, freeballs 50/50, has played competitive volleyball at the high school level. Understands basic concept of a standing float serve. * 2.5 COMPETITIVE PLAYER: Pass 1.5 serve receive, freeballs 30/70, has played club volleyball at the high school level. Understands concepts of the standing float serve and jump float serve. Can spot serve and hit balls to zones 1 and 5 consistently. Come on out and prove yourself! Work your way to our top level open play (3.0+ available upon request) for a chance to be at the top of the mountain! **Our open play rating system:** [https://www.nopanicvolleyball.com/player-resources/15yo-adult-rating-system/8054](https://www.nopanicvolleyball.com/player-resources/15yo-adult-rating-system/8054)

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy registration at [Birding Banshee - Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy](https://loudounwildlife.org/event/birding-banshee-february/) Whether you’re a beginning birder or an expert, you’ll be thrilled by the many bird species you’ll find at **[Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve](http://www.loudounwildlife.org/Great_Places_Banshee_Reeks.htm)** south of Leesburg. Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and Friends of Banshee Reeks for the monthly bird walk at this birding hot spot. Bring binoculars if you have them. ***Registration required.*** \*\*\*Questions: \*\*\**Contact Joe Coleman at [jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org](mailto:jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org).*

Join our weekly walking meetup to have fun, maintain a healthy lifestyle, meet new people, and enjoy the weather! We meet Saturdays at 10am, halfway between the Reston *Container Store* and *Not Your Average Joes* (by the metal benches), leaving no later than 10:05. Every week, rain or shine, we start by walking along the Green Trail to reach Lake Anne Community Center. Once there, we pause for water/bio (often staying a few minutes extra from April-November, due to the local Farmer's Market), and then we circle Lake Anne and head back to our starting point. It's roughly 3-4 miles and takes about an hour and a half. Afterwards, some members will often head to *Not Your Average Joes* or another local restaurant for a quick drink/meal before tackling the day. This event is open to all ages and fitness levels. Dogs are welcome, and we recommend dressing for the weather (umbrella, water, snow shoes, hat, etc.) since we'll walk rain or shine. Also, feel free to bring a friend! By signing up, you accept and assume all risks and responsibilities with this activity, and nobody will be held liable.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Love and Monsters,”** on the inescapable bond between romance and horror, with Joshua Barton, scholar of horror and lecturer in English at Virginia Commonwealth University. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-love-monsters](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-love-monsters) .] Romance and horror might seem like opposite genres, but they share a deep emotional core, and the combination of them has captivated audiences across time and culture. Put even your worst Valentine’s Day in perspective by hearing this strange relationship discussed by Joshua Barton, who has earned a big following among Profs and Pints fans with his past talks on cryptids, American horror, and Christmas ghosts. He’ll explore the undeniable and unsettling intersection of romance and horror and examine how and why love and fear intensify each other and combined to create tension, drive narratives, and explore human vulnerability. We’ll look at works that have blended passion and terror, including Gothic literature like the vampire novella *Carmilla* and modern films like *Spring* and *Crimson Peak*. We’ll study the fine line between obsession and adoration running through Stephen King’s “I Know What You Need,” Adrian Lyne’s *Fatal Attraction*, and the timeless *The Phantom of the Opera.* We’ll discuss the seeds of monstrous love that were planted with *Beauty and the Beast* and *Creature from the Black Lagoon* and bloom ferociously in works like *Twilight* and *The Shape of Water*. Through it all, we’ll find the threads of otherness and the taboo that intertwine horror, love, and reflections on identity. Join us for a journey through storytelling that combines the grotesque and the scintillating as we uncover why romance and horror are a match made in the dark. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. Talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: From the original 1954 advertising poster for *Creature from the Black Lagoon* (Artist: Reynold Brown / Public Domain).

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy registration required at [Birding Algonkian - Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy](https://loudounwildlife.org/event/birding-algonkian-feb/) Join Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy on a search for birds at Loudoun’s top birding hotspot, ***[Algonkian Regional Park](https://loudounwildlife.org/2016/11/algonkian-park/)*** in eastern Loudoun, for the monthly bird walk. Combining extensive frontage along the Potomac River, rich bottomland forests, wetlands, and extensive grassy areas, this can be a very productive place to bird. Bring binoculars if you have them. We’ll meet at the boat ramp next to the parking lot. ([Boat ramp location.](https://goo.gl/maps/Pz1S69mqSuX1z3FW8)) ***Registration required.*** ***Questions:*** *Contact [bhenson@loudounwildlife.org](mailto:bhenson@loudounwildlife.org).*

Come on out and celebrate our first luncheon of the year with a post Valentine lunch with your travel friends. It's ok to wear your favorite RED. Check out the extensive menu here: [Our Menu | Lazy Dog Restaurants](https://orders.lazydogrestaurants.com/menu?_gl=1*10uhl75*_gcl_au*MTQxMDkzMzc1MC4xNzY4NTA3MjUz) There's plenty of free parking: 11963 Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA 22033 Open · Closes midnight · [More hours & services]() [(703) 791-1032](tel:7037911032)

We will be meeting at Starbucks to learn together. Come with an online class you're already going through or an interest and we will try to connect you with a course where you can learn it. Already have a skill you want to contribute to a Kaggle Datascience competition? We will work on these too! Laptop required :)

Join us Saturday, February 21st for our 3rd Saturday Social Ballroom Dance and step into an evening filled with friendship, and still beautifully decorated for the month of LOVE!! Let the evening lift your heart - and your feet - as we dance together on this historic dance floor. **7:30 - 8:30 PM: Waltz Dance lesson by** **Guest Instructor TeRay Bingham of Crown Dance Studio.** Teray's teaching skills are excellent, clear, and concise. And better yet, the ladies can sign up to dance with Teray, just as we do with Michael Sims, who will return next month. **8:30 - 10:30 PM: Ballroom Dance music by DJ TeRay Bingham of Crown Dance Studio** A delicious Chocolate Cake will be served to celebrate birthdays of the month. $15 (cash or check) includes the lesson plus the dance, cold water and scrumptious snacks Dress is "ballroom casual." Please no cutoffs, T-shirts or jeans. Dress to Impress! No experience, reservations or partner needed. All Singles Welcome!! 1,850 sq. ft. beautiful oak dance floor. Singles are always welcome! We have friendly dancers waiting to dance with you!! Plenty of free, safe parking at Colvin Run

The next NoVABeerSec event - "Informal Gathering of Security Minds Over Beer'' will be Wednesday, February 25th, 5:30PM til 7ish at Crooked Run Fermentation (22455 Davis Drive, Sterling, VA ). **BONUS** there is a Senor Ramon Taqueria as part of the brewery; so it will be a “Taco Wednesday” for everyone ;) **Venue for February:** Crooked Run Fermentation (https://crookedrunfermentation.com/sterling-virginia-2/) - Crooked Run Fermentation is a Virginia-based producer of contemporary and traditional beers, coolship sours, natural wines, ciders, and seltzers. Started in 2013 in Leesburg, Virginia, Crooked Run has developed a following for creative and nuanced beverages across a variety of styles, from lagers to IPAs, barrel-aged stouts, sours, and beyond beer. In 2017, we opened our main production facility in Sterling, Virginia, and will open a third location in northeast DC in 2022. Opened in 2017, the Sterling location features a bustling taproom, outdoor biergarten, 10 BBL brewhouse, and best of all, TACOS! Senor Ramon Taqueria offers a full menu of tacos, quesadillas, empanadas, and more. Come relax with 12 beers on tap, weekend live music, and some great food! If you're biking, we're right off the W&OD Trail. **Additional Info:** We are an inclusive group, so if we missed anyone please let us know or if you want to bring your significant other/spouse please do. Have a great week and see you later this month! Cheers, Rinaldi Rampen & Mike McCabe of @NoVABeerSec

This volleyball game is for BB/A or higher level players. Everyone will be on waitlist first and one day before the game I will move players in.

This is something you always wanted to do...Just not alone! Come explore India and Dubai with us! We’ll wander through the colorful streets of **Delhi**, take in the beauty of the **Taj Mahal**, and soak up the royal vibes of **Jaipur.** To top it all off, we’ll celebrate Holi—the festival of colors—like locals do, in an authentic and joyful way! **But that’s not all!** After India, we’ll enjoy a bonus 3-night stay in the glamorous city of **Dubai**, one of the world’s most fascinating cities. From jaw-dropping skyscrapers to desert sunsets, Dubai is the perfect mix of modern luxury and deep-rooted tradition. This isn’t your typical tour. It’s a Meetup-style journey filled with curiosity, connection, and shared experiences. We’ve done this trip before, and every time it’s been more than just a vacation—it’s been eye-opening, transformative experience that connects you to new perspectives, cultures, and unforgettable memories with new friends. *What is included in India* ➢ 2 Nights’ stay in Delhi ➢ 2 Nights’ stay in Agra ➢ 3 Nights’ stay in Jaipur ➢ Meals : 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 6 dinners ➢ Round trip airport transfers by air-conditioned vehicle ➢ Local English-speaking guides for sightseeing ➢ Entrance fees to monuments as per itinerary ➢ Rickshaw ride at Chandini chowk (ancient bazaar) in Delhi ➢ Elephant ride in Jaipur (subject to availability) ➢ Old and New Delhi sightseeing included Rickshaw ride ➢ Agra sightseeing included Magnificent Taj Mahal and Agra fort ➢ Jaipur sightseeing included with Amer fort, Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal ➢ Holi celebration in Agra ➢ All taxes, driver allowances, parking etc. *What is included in Dubai* ➢ 3 Nights’ accommodation in Dubai with breakfast ➢ Meals: 3 breakfast, and 2 dinners ➢ Round trip airport transfers in Dubai on private basis ➢ Driver/Guide in Dubai ➢ Half day Dubai City Tour (Includes Photo Stop at Burj Al Arab, Photo stop at the Atlantis at the Palm Island, Visit to Gold and Spice Souks etc.) ➢ Dhow Cruise with Buffet Dinner ➢ Desert Safari with BBQ dinner (4x4 sharing vehicle) & Arabian Tanoura dance show and belly performance ➢ All taxes and tourism Dihram *What is not included:* ➢ Any International/Internal Airfare ➢ Visa, insurance ➢ Any meals other than specified in cost include ➢ Porterage, tips, laundry, beverages, cost of personal nature like telephone charges ➢ Any sightseeing not mentioned in inclusions **Cost:** * **$3990 per person (based on room sharing)—we offer easy roommate matching!** * **Prefer a room to yourself? Solo supplement is $1500 for a total of $5490** RSVP with your email address to receive detailed Day-by-Day itinerary or [fill out this form](https://forms.gle/cQdqYw74gAYqphXX8). **If you wish to attend, deposit of $250 is the only way to secure your spot. Please pay the deposit through this secure [Deposit Link](https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/4XM44PYUEYJEJ).** Deposits are refundable up to 90 days before departure. **Airfare is not included**, but we are holding a group space from Los Angeles for $1299 including all taxes and the flight from Delhi and Dubai. To secure you airfare from LAX submit a **nonrefundable $200 deposit [HERE](https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/W5DSZYQWFTBEQ)** **If you are not in LA, we can help you arrange the airfare from any other city.** **Space is limited** and this event is cross posted to our sister groups. RSVPs on this post do not reflect actual number of participants. Don’t wait—this trip will sell out fast! \*\*\*[Click Here ](https://forms.gle/cQdqYw74gAYqphXX8)\*\*\**to fill out our google info request form for detailed itinerary on this or any of our other international events.* Got questions? [Click Here](https://www.meetup.com/members/14363992/) to message Ekaterina direct with any questions. Still have questions? We do a monthly [Q&A Travel Zoom](https://www.meetup.com/moretoexplore/events/297487010/) on all our events. **We believe in good decent social!** We have a set of sister groups where we post our local free events, local/regional camping getaways, and our overseas trips too. ***[Click Here](https://www.meetup.com/CulturalArts/Events)***[ to see all our events](https://www.meetup.com/CulturalArts/Events) Our events create and foster community and a sense of discovery. We welcome and are inclusive of all. ***Live the adventure instead of only dreaming it!*** SOT 2000318-10

Attendance is $35 (cash, credit/debit card, or ApplePay - paid at the door), which includes water/soda/coffee, bread, choice of a plated lunch entrée, and a dessert assortment. Parking is also validated in the Reston Station garages (3 hours of validation). Join one of Northern Virginia's most successful business networking groups (part of BNI). Open to the public and is typically attended by business owners, business developers, and entrepreneurs. Meetings are typically attended by 30-40 members and guests. \*\*\*PLEASE RSVP here: [REGISTER HERE](https://square.link/u/0WvC6Eir) \*\*\*If you do not register on the BNI website, there may not be a seat available for you.

Join us for another session of our study group as we continue our coverage of the book Domain-Specific Small Language Models. In this session, we will Chapter 2 which is titled Tuning for a Specific Domain. This isn't just a lecture! Come ready to ask questions, share insights, and code along. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, this is the perfect opportunity to continue to learn together. If you plan to work with the code on your own laptop during the session, try and download the code from here https://github.com/virtualramblas/Domain-Specific-Small-Language-Models/ ahead of time. We will be meeting at the University of North America in room 2215 for this event.