The best time to prepare for warm-weather travel is during the winter. There are a number of reasons for this. One of the most obvious reasons is that it is always less expensive to buy during the off-season. If you wait till the summer before buying your swimsuit, you will pay a lot more than if you can find it during the cold-weather months.

Another reason is availability. If you are going on a springtime vacation, the winter is a little late for booking the popular destinations. You should at least book for two seasons out. Make your booking at the end of summer for Spring Break. One season out is plenty for the destinations in lower demand.

Quite often, the company for which you work will require ample notice for vacation time. Even though you have the time saved up, everyone can't be off at once. So if you want more than a week, especially during popular vacation times, you might need to put in for it as much as a year in advance. Even after all that, there are still a few things left for you to do:

Prepare Your Winning Smile

Not everyone is born with perfect teeth. If you misaligned teeth are ruining your smile, it is not your fault and you are not alone. The underlying issue that caused your misalignment could be hereditary. So make your next trip to the dentist a family affair.

Don't let the prospect of braces put a damper on your travel plans. Ask for the invisible braces like the ones worn by the rich and famous. Have you ever seen the braces that the famous people wear? Of course not. That's because they're invisible. Better still, you don't need to be either famous or rich to get them.

Vacations tend to squeeze out every smile you have in you because you are inundated with new sources of delight everywhere you turn. It is the best kind of sensory overload. Don't spend that time trying to suppress your smile due to imperfect teeth. First, very few people have perfect teeth. Second, if it bothers you, there is something you can do about it. More smiles are well within your reach. And on your next warm-weather vacation, you're going to need them.

Prepare Your Skin

Yes, your skin really is the largest organ in your body. Except, it is not in your body at all. It is on your body. Located on the outside, no human organ is more vulnerable. That skin tends to take a beating when you are having fun under the sun.

Start with the 4 skincare must haves:

  1. A hydrating moisturizer

  2. A good cleanser

  3. An SPF moisturizer and sunscreen

  4. Eye cream

If you are doing it right, you're going to sweat. That doesn't mean your skin isn't drying out. You will be rubbing your eyes like a maniac. And Mr. Sun is going to do his dead-level best to introduce you to his old buddy, Mr. Skin Cancer. There will also be a few scrapes and bruises along the way. Be sure to include a few basic first-aid items in your fun bag.

Prepare Your Waistline

More than two-thirds of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. That means it is probably a good idea to hit the gym. It honestly doesn't matter what reason you give yourself to do it. If looking good in a two piece is what it takes, then now is the time to start getting that beach body ready.

We could all use a warm-weather vacation right about now. If 2020 had a theme, it would have been, "Winter is coming!" We have all had enough of this metaphorical winter. Hopefully, the theme for 2021 will be, "Here comes the Sun!" With the sun comes shining up that winning smile, caring for that vulnerable skin, and preparing your waistline for anything and everything under the sun.