People generally understand that the actions of the government don't necessarily reflect the desires of the people. If anything, we've found people in some of these countries to be very warm and welcoming and wished more of us came to visit.

To minimize the chance of any negative experiences, I suggest that you:
1. Don't exhibit any traits often attributed to "ugly Americans" which, I can tell you from experience, actually apply to many nations: talking loudly, fight in public, dress inappropriately, get drunk or stoned in inappropriate places and times, showing off your money and riches (camera, computer, etc.)
2. Don't get defensive when someone says something bad about your home country, president, policies, etc. Likely you don't agree with everything about America and, in any case, it's not worth arguing about
3. Don't hang out with only tourists, expats and/or Americans and when you see any of them behaving in an unacceptable behavior call them on it or, at least, disassociate yourself from them
4. Don't keep telling everyone how things are done back home as this gives people the impression you think that's the better way
5. DO try to engage locals in conversation to better understand their culture and history
6. DO make a point of visiting areas of the city or country that aren't swarming with tourists
7. DO be genuine in your interactions with people and they'll respond in kind.

If you'd like more tips, including daily travel tips, check out my web site at: http://www.dorisgallan.com and you can subscribe to my feeds. Or check me out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/babyboomerstraveling or Twitter at @dorisgallan.

Let me know if I can help you in any way.

Doris

One of my favorite websites for travel tips that are specifically for women (although most of the tips are common-sense advice that applies to all travelers) is Journeywoman.com - that would be a great place to start and I strongly encourage you (and anyone) to read it.

Aside from that, the most important piece of advice I can give you is this: Be respectful of people, culture, and customs wherever you go.

And be sure that you have a very comprehensive travel medical insurance policy. Most US medical policies will not cover you when you're traveling abroad, you have to purchase it specifically for each trip, but it can be a lifesaver (literally) if something does happen and you wind up in a hospital in a foreign country.