Being so close to our nation's capital is one of the biggest perks of living in northern Virginia. All it takes to make a day trip to D.C. is to hop on the metro and take a quick ride. It's always an adventure to make a trip to the city, and these are some of the many reasons I love living near D.C.

1. Getting to ride the metro.

For those that don't have to commute every day and experience the metro, going to D.C. this way is so much fun. Once you map out which stops you have to go to, you can relax and think about how glad you are that you decided against driving your own car to D.C. and dealing with crazy traffic and parking.

2. Museums.

How lucky are we to be so close to history?! Many of us have been visiting the same D.C. museums since we were little for countless field trips and trips for relatives, but each time you get to learn something new. The Newseum and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History are my favorites.

3. Concerts.

God bless the Verizon Center. I love being near such an awesome concert venue!

4. Caps games.

Because hockey is one of the most entertaining sports to watch, and being present for the games is so exciting.

5. The food.

Between food trucks, casual sandwich shops, upscale restaurants and hot dog carts, the options are endless.

6. Exercise.

Just look at all the walking you'll be doing! Make sure to wear comfortable shoes since you will probably be walking multiple miles to see every monument and museum in D.C. and it will definitely be worth it!

7. You get to be a tourist in your own city.

Even though I love close by and have been so many times, it's still nice and fun to refresh my memory and visit all the important places. And of course, no matter how many times you go, you have to get your picture taken in front of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

8. Shopping.

Just like the food, the options are endless — especially in Georgetown! Your savings account will hate you, but that's OK.

9. People watching.

Let's be real. This is a huge part of the fun. I sometimes take for granted how important D.C. is because I visit it all the time, but there are so many people that come from around the country and globe to visit D.C. It is so cool to see/talk to all types of people from different backgrounds!

You gotta love our nation's capital.