1. Norway

Instead of escaping to a warm place for the winter, why not fully embrace the cold and head to the arctic? As someone who has been known to wear gloves well into may, I know it sounds unbelievable that I of all people are recommending this. But last February that's exactly what we did- I mean is there a better way to celebrate your 40th birthday than seeing the northern lights? Speaking of awesome birthdays, this year we are going to see Metallica! Finally, a concert that I won't feel old at! Anyway, back to voluntarily going to cold places....this epic trip started with flying into Oslo and spending the evening with good friends we had not seen for many years, which was a lovely way to kick off our adventure. We then took the train to Bergen for the main event: a cruise aboard the Hurtigruten along the Norwegian coast, past the arctic circle to Kirkenes. Besides sailing along breathtaking fjords and stunning scenery, eating fantastic local seafood, and dog sledding, we were lucky enough to see the northern lights on our last night. It was nothing short of magical. But wasn't it freezing, you ask? Oh, it was cold alright. But we went prepared with thermal, comfortable layers that kept us toasty. We recommend lightweight but warm under layers like wool and fleece, a wind and water resistant down jacket with hood, weatherproof boots, windproof gloves, a scarf or buff that you can pull up over your face...you get the idea. We were told the Norwegians have a saying: "there is no bad weather, just bad clothing." So bundle up and get ready for the trip of a lifetime!

*The tiny, picture perfect port town of Alesund, where I'm sure the locals say "my city is prettier than your city."*

2. India

India is a place we had wanted to visit for years, and when we finally did, we choose to go in December. We were able to avoid the hot and humid warmer months, and enjoyed generally cool, mild weather during the two weeks we spent in the north/central region (Dehli-Varanasi-Udaipur-Jaipur-Agra). This means we could eat all the spicy food we wanted and visit countless temples without breaking a sweat. What to pack? Comfortable, modest clothing, good walking shoes, a light rain jacket in case it rains. Don't bring a scarf and don't pack jewelry- you'll want to buy all the scarves and all the jewelry when you are there. We each traveled with a medium-sized backpack and bought travel underwear to minimize what we packed. The idea of travel underwear is to wear it one day, wash it, and have it dry by the morning. This did not go as planned because it was on the cooler side when we were there and even the most lightweight garments took forever to dry. Luckily we had a few pairs each :)

*Early morning serenity before the chaos starts in Varanasi.*

3. Southern California

We are generally blessed with fantastic weather and abundant sunshine year round throughout California. To the point that we’re a little bit spoiled. People freak out and drive even worse (if that’s possible) when it occasionally rains in LA, and up in the Bay Area we start getting seasonal affective disorder when the mild winters are too cloudy for us to handle. So we go for a road trip down south. It’s the perfect time to visit some amazing national parks that would be uncomfortably hot in the summer, including Death Valley and Joshua Tree, or the lesser known Rainbow Basin Natural Area. If you’re a fan of mid century architecture or anything retro, you’ll love Palm Springs. Take an architectural tour, or get a day pass and lounge by the pool at the iconic Ace Hotel in your high waist two-piece (maybe something different if you’re a guy). Have you ever wanted to ski and go to the beach on the same weekend? Hit the slopes at Big Bear one day and then hit the sand and soak up the sun in Santa Monica or Orange County the next day (it will definitely be too cold to swim but will be warm enough for shorts). Don’t forget to eat lots of tacos (remember my taco post?) along the way!

4. New York

Let’s face it, the weather in New York kind of stinks most of the year. Winters are cold and long and summers are usually humid and uncomfortable. But visiting the big apple during the holiday season, particularly in December, is worth bundling up for. The holiday lights are magical, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is not to be missed, and the big sales make for fantastic shopping. Of course there’s the risk of rain, snow and sleet, but Central Park is really beautiful when it’s white! I grew up in Brooklyn and one of my fondest memories is when my mom would take my brother and I each year to see the department store windows in the city, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord and Taylor, and Macy's. Seeing the window displays might be even more fun as an adult, because now I can enjoy the shopping too! And of course, there’s the pizza. If you know me well, you may have heard one of my rants when I see a pizzeria outside New York claiming to have New York pizza. I once met a guy in California who was in the process of opening a NY style pizzeria and he had never been to New York! What???! Okay, so maybe my rage is slightly out of proportion, but if you have some pizza in NY, you’ll see that I’m not totally crazy.

*Rockefeller Center, New York City. Photo credit: MICHAEL VADON*

*Finding my inner child at FAO Schwarz in NYC.*

5. Thailand

I’m going to be completely honest and admit that when it’s chilly, I really just want to be somewhere tropical. Luckily for me, my partner in crime shares that sentiment and so a couple of decembers ago we packed our bags and headed for Thailand. It was the dry season and the weather was warm but mild: warm enough to swim but mild enough to hike in the jungle. We were wowed by the Grand Palace and the crab curry in Bangkok. We transformed back into our true selves on Koh Lipe: beach bums. We ate some of the best ice cream we’ve ever had: coconut ice cream made with just shaved frozen coconut. But the highlight of our trip was the time we spent in Khao Sok National Park. We shacked up in a lovely bamboo hut with a fabulous open air bathroom at the family owned Khao Sok Paradise Resort. We complained about the screeching sound of the water heater/pipes, but were reassured that it was only the cicadas looking for love during mating season. We took a cooking class where our host passed down recipes that had been in her family for generations. We took a canoe ride through the jungle, during which our guide stopped to make us Nescafé in bamboo cups (which he had hand carved) along the river bank. What made the whole trip extra nice, besides our tans, was the friendliness and hospitality of the lovely people of Thailand.