Corsica

Off the coast of Italy and Marseille lies the beautiful island of Corsica. I was lucky enough to visit Corsica when I was younger and I will not forget it. Although Corsica is still part of France, it was given limited autonomy in 2001.

When I researched this island that is known for its diverse sights and landscape, there was not much that I could find. That was until I found out that it is gaining recognition as the murder capital of Europe. I then tried to dig a little deeper about this and I found this opinion article that is worth reading. Also, click on the links because they really give great background information! 

Russia

Today, it seems like Russia often catches the world's eye for some reason. The latest story is that Russian Vladimir Putin tightened the government's grip on the country a little more. Without much notice, Putin had the power to cripple a news agency that was more independent than I guess he liked. But on a larger scale, Ukraine has been split in half. Masses upon masses of Ukrainian citizens have been protesting their President Victor Yanukovich and his decision to reject discussions of joining the European Union. This anger has been bubbling since the Orange Revolution in 2004, where Ukrainians protested the rigged presidential election, which Yanukovich won. Yanukovich has leaned toward sticking with the powerful and influential Russia. Although this article (the Ukraine link) is more opinionated, I think it was interesting how it theorized that "Russia, on the other hand, has used the dire need of Ukraine for immediate cash injections to promote its own integrationist project, the Eurasian Union."

Because of all of these governmental changes, travel is not necessarily impacted negatively. With a population of 143 million and the actual country being huge, there should still be doubts to shooting down all ideas of traveling to Russia because of politics. But, travelers are advised to go to Russia with caution and only visit certain areas. 

Spain

Something that I have not discussed very much is travel for educational purposes. Particularly, traveling to a country to learn a language is such a great idea. Students today are more and more being encouraged to immerse themselves in the language and culture of another country. Spanish, the second most native language in the world actually beats english and follows english.
Spain has a population of approximately 40 million people and its currency is the Euro. What I never knew was that the country has the 7th largest economy in the world and its coastline has had many problems with drug trafficking. But, there are many different regions of Spain that each have different characteristics. 
Although there are many regions of Spain many people choose to visit its capital and largest city, Madrid. But, this website discusses the hidden gems of the rest of the country. 

In terms of politics, I had never known that the different regions are quite autonomous and there is not a huge emphasis on federal power. Yet, at the same time the democracy of Spain overall has been questioned by its citizens overall since its increase in austerity. (This was a very interesting article!) Further, Spain happens to be the largest entryway for drug trafficking into Europe.

UPDATED: Remembering Nelson Mandela

UPDATE: The world and his home country truly remembered just how much Nelson Mandela contributed to the world.
Here is a fantastic summary of Nelson Mandela's life:

The New York Times great recap of his speeches, life, and major contributions:

At the age of ninety five, the revered and sage Nelson Mandela passed away. I know that this is a travel blog, but the country of South Africa would be very different if it were not for the actions and inspiration of Mr. Mandela. His obituary can attest to his leadership in the antiapartheid movement, peace, and equality. Regarding his Nelson Mandela's death, the author of his autobiography writes,
"Nelson Mandela was always uncomfortable talking about his own death. But not because he was afraid or in doubt. He was uncomfortable because he understood that people wanted him to offer homilies about death and he had none to give. He was an utterly unsentimental man. I once asked him about his mortality while we were out walking one morning in the Transkei, the remote area of South Africa where he was born. He looked around at the green and tranquil landscape and said something about how he would be joining his "ancestors". "Men come and men go," he later said. "I have come and I will go when my time comes." And he seemed satisfied by that. I never once heard him mention God or heaven or any kind of afterlife. Nelson Mandela believed in justice in this lifetime." 

Who's to Say You Can't Stay in America?

Because it is the most populous and the third largest state in the United States, California could be considered an American gem. With fifty eight counties, it seems like it would be hard to not find something enjoyable to do. Some of the events that tourists travel to see are the Palm Springs Film Festival, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, and much more.

Economically, California has been one of America's biggest concerns, particularly in regard to state debt. An article (updated seven months ago) argues that California's growing population partly due to incoming young innovators has caused a boost in the economy. But, the downside is that these youthful individuals will one day become older and want to settle down. Because of the ease of the government's gridlock that has been noticeable, I think that this article has a lot to say for how the economy has been doing with recent government changes. Although the author's left-sided opinion does have an influence, it is interesting how the raise in taxes of the wealthy has not caused a catastrophe for the state overall.

But, before visiting you may want to contemplate where exactly you would like to visit. Every Californian knows there is a huge cultural difference between northern California and southern California.