Im a 27 year old guy based in San Francisco, and I recently broke up with my long-term girlfriend. With the holiday season quickly approaching, Ive decided to try to find a last minute adventure so I dont have to spend the holiday season sulking around my apartment. My family is from a smaller town in the Midwest, and while going home is an option, I think getting away from things will be a nice opportunity to relax and hit the "reset" button as I move into the new year.

Im going to be traveling solo. Ive traveled solo before (4 months backpacking through Europe after college), so that aspect doesnt bother me (aside from Christmas Day), but I want to find a place that has favorable dynamics for a solo traveler.

I would love any thoughts and ideas on potential destinations. I think an international destination would be fun, but also not necessarily against somewhere in the US as well (but might as well take the opportunity to travel abroad!). Below are some of the considerations Ive been weighing:

Thanks in advance!

Places on my short list so far

Europe – Ive been before and am comfortable traveling alone. Flights are pretty available from the West Coast to a number of cities. With my time frame, I would target ~3 locations, but Im open to where to go based on ideas. I also like that there is a lot to do in Europe and there tends to be a lot of other travelers to meet. The one thing Im worried about is weather – Ive never been to Europe in the winter, but I know its a bit chilly and gets dark early. Im not opposed to the cold, but would love anyones input if they think Europe is a particularly good or bad place to visit this time of year.

Japan – Ive never been, but flights are pretty easy to get from SFO. Would love to explore a new culture, but really havent dug into whether Japan is a great place to visit as a solo traveler and in the winter

Australia – This was at the top of my list, but awards flights from the West Coast (see below) are tough to come by so Australia might be hard from this respect even if it was my #1 location

Length – 10-12 days (somewhat flexible time frame with goal of departing on December 22/23/24 and returning January 2/3/4)

Airlines – Im based in San Francisco, and I want to book my travel with frequent flier miles that Ive accumulated. I have a significant number of miles with United, Virgin America, and on my Chase Sapphire card, and I want to use the miles to fly business class wherever Im headed. I know that this requirement narrows down potential locations a bit, but Im finding decent awards availability for the windows that Im looking to travel. Comfort/Safety – I dont know if I feel comfortable traveling in South America alone, and I also want to avoid the Middle East considering recent events. In general, I want to avoid places that might not be ideal for solo travel vs. group travel.

Budget – Im fine spending a little bit of money – my budget for this trip is probably around $3-3.5K USD. Im open to a mix of hotels, hostels, and Airbnb – knowing that hostels will make it easier to socialize and meet people.

Climate – The cold doesnt necessarily both me, but I also dont want to go somewhere that is below freezing during the day or a place that might be warmer but will be consistently rainy/miserable the entire time.

Interests – Im pretty open on interests and activities. Im more interested in finding a destination that has enough activities to keep me busy during my trip, whether that is museums (definitely love museums), historic places, hikes, etc. Would also be open to a beach destination if it fits most of the rest of my considerations here.

Technology – I dont want to go anywhere too far off the grid where I cant check my email on a semi-regular basis. I probably wont have any work to do during the trip since it is planned around the holidays, but I will be taking my laptop along just in case. It would be my preference to be somewhere with wifi access in the small likelihood that I need to work for a few hours.