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. 

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.

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. 

Visiting Paris for the first time is exhilarating. There’s so much to do that it’s easy to overestimate how much time you have to explore. The first thing to remember is to be realistic while planning. For example, the Louvre is enormous. If you think you’ll cover it in a day, think again because not even a week is enough time to see everything. Second, manage your expectations. Most people don’t realize the Mona Lisa is about the size of a large textbook rather than a giant canvas. Just like any other city, do some research before leaving. While spontaneity makes for grand adventures, having a reasonably sketched-out plan never hurts, especially if you have a laundry list of things you want to fit in and a budget to keep to.

There’s a scene in Eat Pray Love when Liz is in Italy visiting the Augusteum. She explains the origin of these ancient ruins and talks about how the city has built itself above it over time.

It’s one of the simplest things, sitting in what she considers the “quietest and loneliest” part of Rome. But that brief experience had an impact on the way she started to see things. It was a pivotal moment in finally letting go of the relationship she had with David. It didn’t make the experience - the heartbreak - any less painful but it allowed her to take the first step to move forward. This is the beauty, and the privilege, of travel. It takes us outside our routines and self-imposed bubbles where nothing changes and opens our eyes to looking at life differently. This world is so much bigger than the next promotion or moving in with a partner. If we allow ourselves to look outside the world we limit ourselves to, there’s so much more to be discovered about ourselves, the people in our lives, the challenges we’re working through, and the people around us. 

January is an underrated time of year to plan a trip. Holiday travel is over, and much of the northern hemisphere is experiencing cold weather. Many people are inclined to stay home, whether that’s to avoid the risk of travel delays or blowing through precious PTO so early in the year. Whatever the reason, tourism crowds ease up after the holiday rush, and time seems to slow down. For those who choose to embrace the heart of winter, there’s something about exploring while the air is crisp and meeting people in warm, cozy restaurants. If you’re looking to get away, you might consider one of these destinations for January travel.