Hottest beach destinations

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at editor@smartertravel.com.

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Orbitz just published a list of the fastest growing winter beach destinations. In the U.S. list, Maui stole the title, but four of the top eight spots were held by cities in Florida.

The top destinations domestically were Maui, Hawaii; Daytona Beach, Florida; Kailua-Kona, Hawaii; Key West, Florida; San Diego, California; Charleston, South Carolina; Fort Lauderdale and Miami in Florida; and Sarasota, Florida. Internationally, Cozumel in Mexico topped the list, and was followed by Riviera Maya, also in Mexico; Negril, Jamaica; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Aruba; and three other destinations in Mexico.

Orbitz awarded destinations top spots based on the percentage growth in bookings during winter months over the last three years.

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