It's strange how when we travel, we make an effort to see one more museum, yet we often put off visiting places near home for years, thinking, "I can go anytime."

I only later realized how many places there are around Centreville. After visiting, I often thought, "Why did I wait so long to come here?"

The first place I want to recommend is the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly.

It's an annex of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and even those who aren't particularly interested in airplanes will be surprised when they enter.

In a hangar-like space with a high ceiling, planes are displayed in real life.

There's the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance aircraft and the supersonic passenger plane Concorde.

You can also see the Gemini 7 space capsule, but the most famous is undoubtedly the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Seeing the space shuttle up close is much more impressive than in photos. When you think that it actually went to space, you can't help but stare at it for a while.

The best part is that admission is free. You do have to pay for parking, but being able to visit a museum of this scale for free with your family is quite rare in the U.S. It's great for taking kids, and even adults can spend half a day there easily.

If you enjoy history, the Manassas Museum is also worth a visit.

Located not far from Centreville in Manassas, it shows how significant this area was during the Civil War.

Rather than just a museum with a few exhibits, it surprisingly illustrates how the city of Manassas was created and evolved.

After visiting the museum, going to the Manassas National Battlefield Park is even more fun.

The Civil War that you read about in books suddenly feels real when you realize, "Oh, battles were fought right here."

If you're looking for a different atmosphere, there's also the Sully Historic Site. It's a place where a mansion built in 1794 still stands, showing how people lived in this area long before the apartments and shopping centers of Northern Virginia existed. It's not a flashy tourist spot, but a nice place to stroll on a pleasant day.

And for those who enjoy performances, Wolf Trap is a must-visit.

Officially named Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, it's a unique national park created for the performing arts in the U.S. There's a special joy in listening to music in an outdoor venue, offering a different experience from the typical museums or historical sites.

One advantage of living in Centreville is that, unlike New York, you don't have tourist attractions right outside your door, but with just a little effort, you can find the Air and Space Museum, Civil War battlefields, 200-year-old mansions, and performance venues.

However, when you live nearby, you tend not to go.

It often takes a relative visiting from Korea asking, "Is there anything to see here?" for me to become a tourist myself and go explore.

This year, I plan to visit one nearby place at a time.

Traveling doesn't only mean flying far away.