The Washington, D.C. area is one of the best places to live in the world. Whether you grew up just outside the city in Maryland or Virginia, you definitely know these 12 things.

1. DMV is not the Department of Motor Vehicles.

DMV stands for D.C., Maryland, Virginia. Which do you rep?

2. You ALWAYS tell people you're from D.C. because it's easier.

"I'm from D.C." = "Woah, that's so cool!" vs. "I'm from x suburb" = "where's that?" You choose which is better.

3. Sometimes you wish you really were from D.C.

Because doesn't it sound cool to say you're neighbors with politicians, FBI agents and professional athletes?

4. But most of the time you love being from your suburb.

Nothing can ever compare to where you grew up.

5. You're used to rooting for D.C.'s teams instead of your state's.

Gotta love the Nats, Caps, D.C. United and ‘Skins (love to watch ya lose). These teams aren’t just D.C.'s teams; they're America's. Also, more likely than not, if you live around D.C. your state doesn’t even have most pro sports teams.

6. You don't notice the traffic.

It's normal for it to take 30 minutes to go five miles, so when it's any quicker than that, you feel #blessed.

7. Metro is either your BFF or the devil.

There's no in between and if you think otherwise, you don’t metro.

8. People ask you if you know the President.

Obviously, you say yes (no matter who the Prez is) ...but honestly, no. One thing you can claim is that you’ve probably seen the President’s house more often than most Americans.

9. People assume you're an aspiring politician, lobbyists or lawyer.

No, not all (or even 99.99%) people from D.C. are power hungry. *Cue Francis Underwood stereotype.*

10. You freak out when you see tourists outside of D.C.

You know that family wearing "I <3 D.C." shirts and neon hats thirty minutes outside of the city roaming your neighborhood? Yeah, please stay IN D.C., tourists (and change clothes immediately).

11. When someone says “I’m going to the mall” you have to ask which one.

National Mall? Tysons Corner? Montgomery Mall? Pentagon Mall? There are SO many.

12. You wouldn’t trade it for anything!

The Washington, D.C. area is one of the best places to live. There’s something so different about this big city that isn’t anything like NYC, LA or Chicago. That’s because D.C. is a world unto itself, from the way people dress to the things we say. There’s an air about the city that reminds you you’re really in the middle of where everything important happens.