¡Hola! Thought I’d open with a little Spanish since December is Learn a Foreign Language Month. Despite years of Spanish in school, combined with a few years living on the Mexican border, my Spanish is still basura. But I’m using this month as an opportunity to get back into it. The gift of learning is something I’m truly thankful for this holiday season. I love learning new things, and hopefully, one of the reasons you keep opening this newsletter is because you love being in the know too. That being said, let’s cut to the chase. Here’s what’s in store for you this week:

1. This is why you should hit the beach this winter.

2. Enjoy Christmas-themed cocktails at The Bamboo Room soon.

3. Want to learn a new language? Here’s how to get started. 

4. Here’s a helpful introduction to investing. 

Find more details down below, and gracias for reading The Low!

— Chantel

Naturally, Savannah’s beach Tybee Island draws in hordes during the warmer months, but there’s so much to enjoy on the beautiful barrier isle during the winter as well. Here in the Southeast, we’re blessed to have mild winters where December days in the 70s aren’t uncommon. For this reason, among others that we’ll get to shortly, now is a great time to take in the sights and sounds of the island. If you need a little more convincing, here are a few fine reasons to visit Tybee during the winter. 

During the off-season, you can enjoy a more tranquil, unadulterated beach environment free from calamitous crowds. You can spend a spell on the secluded beach with a good book, and when you get hungry, you can dine at one of the island’s popular eateries without much of a wait. If you like peace and quiet and quaint coastal life, winter is definitely the best time to visit Tybee. 

Even in the off months, Tybee is still teeming with activity. There are a lot of fun events to look forward to that take place during the winter. Tybee’s second seasonal Tour de Art market is coming up on Dec. 17 with the 13th annual Tour de Lights happening that evening. See sparks fly at Tybee’s New Year’s Eve Fireworks display. And then kick off the New Year with a thrill by running into the Atlantic Ocean during the Tybee Polar Plunge.

Adventure awaits during the winter on Tybee. You can kayak to Little Tybee, try standup paddleboarding on the calm ocean surface, or race through the water on a jet ski.  There are also plenty of charters ready and willing to take you deep-sea fishing, if that’s more your speed. 

Clearly, there’s much to enjoy on the island during the winter months. Take advantage of off-season rates by planning a little Tybee getaway this winter. Also, the island is offering free parking through Jan. 1 via the Park Tybee app, so there’s no reason not to visit soon. 

Located in the heart of City Market, you’ll find Sorry Charlie’s, a popular oyster house with a fun, immersive tiki bar called The Bamboo Room on the second floor. The Bamboo Room invites thirsty patrons to come by and try their new, festive holiday cocktails. Perfect for the holiday season, these Christmas-y cocktails will get you in the spirit. 

If you love eggnog, go for the Pistachio Coquito. It’s a Puerto Rican take on the traditional holiday drink that substitutes creamy coconut milk for the eggs. It’s made with white rum, pistachios, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, delivering sweet, smooth flavors with subtle spice. 

Another fun offering is the Yippee-Ky-Yay. It’s a complex and balanced cocktail made with gin, hibiscus, honey, clove, allspice and lemon. Despite the energetic name, this drink is delicate and light. It’s a nice counterpart to the Coquito.

Lastly, the How’s My Tie? is a riff on the traditional Mai Tai both in name and build, featuring rich, dark flavors and a festive cinnamon pecan syrup. It’s made with rye whiskey, blended scotch, Islay scotch, dry curacao, orgeat, lime, pecans and bitters. A fun twist on a classic cocktail, the How’s My Tie? is perfect to sip on this winter. 

Find some time to stop by The Bamboo Room to try these holiday-themed libations soon!

December is the heart of the holiday season, but that’s not all. A little known fact, December also happens to be Learn a Foreign Language Month. This winter month is a special opportunity to celebrate linguistic diversity. It’s also an invitation to start learning a new language. Though learning a foreign language is no easy feat, it comes with many benefits that make doing so well worth the effort. By learning a second language, you can develop better cultural awareness, enjoy enhanced communication in places where the language is spoken, and improve your chances in the job market. Learning a new language is truly a gift that keeps on giving, so take advantage of this opportunity to adopt a new tongue. Here are a few ways to get started:

There are many apps available online that are specially designed to help you learn and master a new language. Examples include Duolingo, Babble and Rosetta Stone. In as little as fifteen minutes a day, you can be on your way to becoming conversational in a foreign language. Language apps usually have a very diverse collection of languages to choose from, so you can learn Spanish, Swedish or Swahili and everything in between. 

If you’d prefer to learn a new language in a more structured setting from a fluent instructor, consider taking a class. Savannah Tech offers inexpensive six-week courses in foreign languages. You can also earn undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates in foreign languages at local universities like Georgia Southern and Savannah State, if you’re interested in more intensive instruction. And, you can enroll at the Savannah Language and Culture Exchange for affordable lessons in Spanish and American Sign Language. They offer both virtual and in-person classes. 

In addition to using apps and taking classes, do your best to immerse yourself in the language you’re trying to learn. Seek out opportunities to engage with native speakers whenever you can, and create situations to surround yourself with the new language. For example, listen to music and podcasts and watch TV and movies in the new language (you can use english subtitles if need be). Go to a restaurant where the language you’re learning is spoken and practice there. Try to practice as often as possible to become familiar with and eventually fluent in your new language. 

Once upon a time, investing was thought to be reserved for the rich. But today, with the proliferation of resources available to the public, pretty much anyone can get into investing. To put it simply, investing is all about growing your funds by putting some of it away now to see more of it in the future. That being said, investing can get complex really quickly, making it overwhelming and even prohibitive for beginners. To demystify investing, here are a few basic investment types that are perfect for people who are just starting out. 

A 401(k) is a workplace retirement plan that lets you make annual contributions up to a certain amount, which are deposited into an investment account. The contributions grow tax-free until retirement age. Your employer may match part or all of those contributions, which is pretty much free money for you. If you don’t have much time or funds to put into managing your investments, a 401(k) is an easy way to start investing. The money will go straight from your paycheck into your retirement savings account, so it’s a really simple hands-off method of investing. 

A mutual fund can be thought of as a basket of investments. Basically, mutual funds allow you to pool your money with other investors to mutually buy stocks, bonds and other assets. As an investor, you’ll buy a share in the fund to invest in all of the fund’s holdings in one fell swoop. Mutual funds tend to come with less risk than other investment strategies because your investment is split among different types of securities. Investing in mutual funds also tends to be cheaper than other kinds of professionally-managed investments. 

Exchange-traded funds are similar to mutual funds because they both hold a basket of securities. With ETFs, like mutual funds, you can split up your investments to reduce risk. The difference is that ETFs are traded throughout the day like stocks, and they are more subject to market volatility. Another distinction is that ETFs don’t come with the same minimum investment requirements as mutual funds. So you can typically get started with ETFs for less than you would with a mutual fund. 

A high-yield savings account is what it sounds like. It’s a savings account with a higher interest rate, which allows your money to grow faster as it sits in the account. These accounts come with little risk and greater flexibility. Basically, you can earn more interest on your money than you would with a traditional savings account. The only downside is that these accounts typically come with balance requirements and withdrawal limits. High-yield savings accounts are great options to hold your emergency funds. 

If you’re new to investing, start out by considering your personal financial goals and risk tolerance before committing to any investment. With some thought and research, and perhaps a little guidance, you’re sure to find the right investment strategy for you.