I WRITE THIS AS I LOOK OUTSIDE my office window at snow-covered ground, dreading the moment I need to bundle up to head outside to bone-chilling temperatures. We’re in the midst of a long arctic blast in the Northeast, which leaves me longing for the sunny weather and gorgeous views we had the opportunity to enjoy on our recent trip to Los Angeles. It’s a rare occasion I find myself communicating in person with Tracey Cullen, art director; Jan Hecht, senior editor; and Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor and proofreader, as we usually work as a team virtually from our respective corners of the world, so the chance to enjoy lunch together only made the perfect weather and pristine vista all the sweeter.

Speaking of winter, do you look to escape the cold, or do you seek it out? Is your favored winter vacation destination a tropical beach, or are you hitting the slopes and searching for snow? Personally, a late January jaunt to Miami was in order. Before departing, I took note of some of the suggestions in Regina Baraban’s article on South Beach. Turn to page 66 to check out her recommendations.

Where else do we visit in this issue? It’s truly a global adventure: from a spa in Riviera Maya, Mexico, to Mediterranean cruises and a restaurant with a view in Waikiki. We also experience Buenos Aires, Kuala Lumpur, Dallas, Vienna, New York City, Budapest, Taiwan and Belize. For more on Austria, visit our three websites — globaltravelerusa.com, trazeetravel.com and whereverfamily.com — which will all feature articles about the country throughout the month.

A continuing trend in the world of travel is solo travel. We take a look at the phenomenon on page 46. However you prefer to travel — on your own, with a significant other, with your family or in a large group — we’ve got you covered next month, when we go from Tokyo to Managua to Durban. See you there!