The Bahamas

The shortest leap on this list. Flights from the US East Coast can take as little as an hour, English is the official language, and the Bahamian dollar is held at the same value as the US dollar, with both accepted interchangeably on every island. Nassau's airport has US preclearance too, so the trip home is about as smooth as international travel gets. That ease is also the catch: Nassau and Paradise Island can feel like a resort bubble. To make it a real first trip abroad, give a few days to one of the quieter Out Islands, reached by a short hop or ferry, where the water is startlingly clear and the towns are small enough to learn in an afternoon. Hurricane season peaks in late summer and fall, when travel insurance earns its cost.