For first-time travelers, venturing somewhere closer to home could make the experience much more comfortable. Lucky for those who live in the continental U.S., there are endless destinations to explore coast to coast. You could say it’s one of the biggest perks of living in the States. Whether you feel the most at home in a big city or prefer something quieter with big open spaces, it’s impossible not to find exactly what you’re looking for, and solo travel ensures you don’t have to compromise for anyone or anything. When it comes down to choosing a destination, ask yourself a few questions. What are you looking to get out of this trip? What are you most excited to see and do? And what do you want to take away from it? 

There’s no escaping the past in Savannah. Every street, stone, and building seems to have a story spanning generations, but it doesn’t keep locals from continuing to push forward into the future. They simply do so while holding a deep respect for the past. Keeping this in mind, for anyone willing to break out of the party atmosphere along River Street, Savannah is a cultural hub waiting to be explored. From a church that acted as a stop on the Underground Railroad to cemeteries with active residents, each site provides a window into the past. Between paranormally charged hotspots, Savannah’s culinary scene provides bold flavors in unique settings, from an old bus station to renovated mansions. Nothing fades in time in Savannah. Instead, the city ties the past and present together so that no matter what, it’s impossible to forget where it all began.  

Traveling abroad for the first time is both exciting and intimidating. Travel is an experience for the mind, the body, and the soul and when you embark on that journey by yourself for the first time, there are a lot of feelings, and that's ok. Like so many things in life, the hardest part of taking your first trip alone is leaving. Between the excitement and apprehension, a lot of thoughts infiltrate your mind…not all of them positive. The trick is to embrace them. Confront those fears and keep pushing forward because on the other side of that plane, train, or car will be the first of many unforgettable and meaningful experiences. 

Quick trips can feel limited. Between travel time, settling in, and making decisions, sometimes spending the money on a weekend away doesn't feel worth it. If planned well, you can pack quite a bit in two days, and Boston offers just enough versatility – and walkability – to make it work. While a week in Boston is even better, if two days are all you have, the city is laid out beautifully to make it possible.

Cafe culture is strong in Savannah. With dozens of coffee shops and casual spots to grab a bite, it’s easy to forget about the city’s spectacular dining scene. Both are worth checking out, but if you’re grabbing a coffee, it makes sense to add a little book browsing while you’re at it! Aside from our top cafes and coffee shops to visit in Savannah, we’re also spotlighting three bookstores that are not to be missed. We hope you left some space in your luggage because it’ll be impossible not to leave with a new book or two. 

Savannah is known for many things, but the dining scene deserves more recognition. With farm-to-table concepts,  elevated low-country cuisine, and Australian-owned hotspots, Savannah has a diverse culinary scene with James Beard Award-Winning chefs and kitchens using recipes passed down from generations of grandmothers. From Asian fusion to traditional Southern comfort food, there’s something for everyone, no matter how adventurous (or not) they are dining out. We wish we had more time to dig into Savannah’s culinary scene, but until then, here is a short list of our top places to eat in Savannah.

Some of the best adventures happen when we’re pushed outside our comfort zones. Traveling alone can be one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences. For those planning their first solo trip, start slow by getting used to doing things alone in your hometown or city. Book a weekend getaway and work up to a more extended trip. If you feel ready or are no stranger to solo travel, find time on the calendar this year to go abroad on an epic adventure. From the temples of Cambodia to the festivals of Quebec, these are just a handful of international destinations to experience alone. 

Nothing beats a hot cup of cocoa by a roaring fireplace while wearing comfy sweats wrapped in a blanket. Add a good book during a heavy snowfall, and it’s about as perfect a day as it gets! Invented by the Danish, “hygge” simply means cozy, and it’s how we should all winter. According to the official Visit Denmark website, “hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people…Perhaps hygge explains why Danes are some of the happiest people in the world.” Inspired by this way of life, we’ve put together 8 destinations to visit this winter to embrace a hygge vibe for a well-deserved break. 

One of the things to look forward to the most with a new year is all the new trips there are to plan. Twelve months are a blank canvas to fill with destinations, escapes, cultural immersion, and memories. Whether you prefer to go on grand adventures scaling mountains and reaching high peaks or cozy, slow travel leisurely walking down old, historic cobblestone streets, dipping in and out of bookstores and cafes while getting to know the local people, a new year is a new opportunity to fill as many moments as possible with curiosity and enriching experiences. We'd love to take off for hundreds of places in the world, but these eight are currently at the top of our minds.

Traveling alone is such a rewarding experience. It requires us to be content in our own company outside of the isolation of our homes. Discovering a new place is exhilarating when done with others but takes on an introspective element when done by ourselves. It pushes us outside our comfort zone - whether dining alone or joining a group tour without a buddy. It’s an opportunity to plan an entire trip around what is most important to us, around what we’re most interested in — no compromising or going for tacos when we want pasta. There’s no argument over when to wake up or how much to cram into the day. You get to explore at your own pace, no questions asked. Along the way, you’ll more than likely discover something new about yourself, whether it’s learning you are capable of something you hadn’t considered before or having a moment of self-awareness that leads you to a new level of growth. 

Travel was a significant part of my life before the pandemic. Working as a freelancer, I’ve had the privilege of taking my “office” with me, and I took full advantage of that luxury. The pandemic was one of several challenging years, and travel stopped for me months before the world shut down. While I’d like to say that I could fuel that part of me in other ways, it just didn’t seem the same. Coming back to travel in 2024 felt like coming home again.

What’s more magical than visiting a destination that feels like a real-life fairytale? Europe has many towns just like this, but Amboise, France, looks as if it has stepped out of Beauty and the Beast. Amboise is a small medieval town in the Loire Valley, about 140 miles outside Paris. It served as the final home of Leonardo da Vinci and features the famous Château Royal d’Amboise. The people are friendly, the food is outstanding, and if the walls could talk, we’d hear intimate conversations between da Vinci and King Francis I.