

10 Travel Destinations You Can't Miss Visiting This Year
It's that time of year again! And if you didn't get a chance to check off all of the travel destinations on this year's wish list, it's about to get even longer. Airbnb just released their top 20 travel spots, and the list has something for both international and domestic travelers alike.
So, whether you want to experience Victorian-era architecture on another continent or enjoy some of the most beautiful beach-fronts the U.S. has to offer, we've got you covered.
1.Bilbao, Spain
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Located in the north, this city began to draw significant tourist attention after the opening of its Guggenheim Museum in 1997. Since then, there has been a burst of creatively designed museums, hotels, and restaurants that reflect its cosmopolitan vibe. If the architecture isn't enough to pique your interest, Bilbao boasts over 40 Michelin-starred restaurants, rolling green hills with beautiful scenery and in 2020 it'll be a host city of one of Europe's most popular soccer competitions.
2.Vanuatu
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A perfect destination for people who love to go off the beaten path, Vanuatu is just a few hours from Australia's eastern capitals and is made up of about 80 islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The island nation features unique natural experiences like hidden sea caves, volcanoes and some of the most beautiful marine life you've ever seen. The local cuisine uses a mix of fresh fruit, vegetables and fish to create signature dishes.
3.Ubatuba, Brazil
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Did somebody say beach? This city located on Sao Paulo's North Shore is the epitome of paradise. With over 100 beaches to choose from, gorgeous trees and lush waterfalls, this is certainly a getaway to remember. Other activities for those who love the outdoors include bird watching, surfing and hiking. You can also find some delicious seafood dishes by the waterfront.
4.Malindi, Kenya
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You could spend your entire life attempting to discover the beauty of Africa and you'd still need more time. But this bustling beach town should definitely be at the top of your list. From its historic ruins dating back to the 13th century, to its Swahili culture and natural wonders, Malindi is both stunning and special. The port town is a melting pot with beautiful beaches and a plethora of unique marine life.
5.Eugene, OR
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Just two hours south of Portland, this Pacific Northwest city is a hip spot with a potpourri of activities for people who love food and fun. It's affectionately called "Tracktown USA" because it has historically been home to one of the most famous track and field destinations in the world. Visitors can enjoy canoeing or hiking along the river, take a stroll in the Owen Rose Garden, or partake in the hometown craft beers paired with one of their farm-to-table dishes.
6.Cape Canaveral, FL
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Home to the Kennedy Space Center and Airforce and Missile Museum, this popular cruise ship port is a great destination for families. Enjoy a variety of activities from surfing and fishing to local brewery tours. If you're looking to relax, there is 72 miles of beachfront land that is perfect for tanning. Next summer, Cape Canaveral will be the site of NASA's Mars 2020 Exploration Program.
7.Cali, Colombia
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Medellin and Cartagena are great cities with a lot of flair, but if you're looking for a Colombian experience that stands out from the rest, Cali is it. This city is not only the "salsa dancing capital" but it has rich Afro-Colombian history and caleno culture. A must-see landmark is the Cristo Rey statue of Jesus Christ that resembles the one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
8.Les Contamines-Montjoie, France
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In southeast France, there is a charming French village perfect for a winter ski getaway with that special someone. Lovers of the outdoors who want to skip the usual ski resort destinations will find this place a romantic and cozy getaway. The quaint wooden chalets and beautiful natural scenery are truly breathtaking.
9.Tokyo, Japan
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This July and August, some of the world's best athletes will take part in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, making it a worthy destination on this trending list. The largest metropolitan area in the world is making sure that the summer games are energy efficient and that large crowds are as manageable as possible, so needless to say the Olympic Games will be a huge event. This popular city is known for its great food, unique transportation system, religious temples and tech culture.
10. Milwaukee, WI
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Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, this Midwestern city is many times overlooked because of its proximity to Chicago, but it actually is a gem in its own right with an influx of great breweries, restaurants and entertainment. Sites like Pabst Mansion and Villas Louis are some of the many interesting stops that give you a peek into the city's history. In the summer of 2020, Milwaukee will be home to the Democratic National Convention.
For the full list of Airbnb's 20 destinations to visit in 2020, click here.
Featured image by Shutterstock.
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Tiffany D. Smith is a TV journalist by day and food and travel influencer by night from Chicago, IL. Since being bitten by the travel bug a few years ago, she uses her blog TheLoveofFoodandTravel.com to encourage people to release their fears, step out of their comfort zones, and explore new places and great food. When Tiffany isn't working in live TV or blogging, she enjoys kickboxing, watching 70's shows, and spending time with friends and family. Keep up with her @loveoffoodandtravel on IG.
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'Queen Charlotte' Star Arsema Thomas Worked At The United Nations Before Landing Her Breakout Role
Actress Arsema Thomas (Arséma Adeoluwayemi Hamera) may be new to the acting scene, but the star's standout performance in Netflix's limited series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is already leaving a lasting impression among many.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, a prequel to Bridgerton, follows the young queen's life as her marriage to King George of England sparks an epic love affair and a societal shift.
In the drama, Thomas portrays the role of a young Lady Agatha Danbury, a close friend and confidant of Queen Charlotte, and it also depicts Lady Danbury's journey.
The series showcases the struggles Lady Agatha Danbury experienced in her lifetime. The list includes being forced to partake in a loveless marriage to a former African king Herman Danbury, becoming a widow, and possibly losing her estate and title following her husband's death.
Since Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story debuted on Netflix earlier this month, it has dominated the streaming service's top ten charts and piqued fans' interest in the show's stars, including Thomas.
Although many may not know a lot about the Atlanta native, who goes by she/they pronouns, and how she became one of the breakout stars in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, still, with the recent promotional tour Thomas has been doing for the show, she has shared some shocking details about her life.
Thomas' revelations within the past several months include details about her educational pursuits, previous work experience, her African culture, the steps she took to prepare for her role as Lady Agatha Danbury, and many more.
Arsema On Her African Heritage
Thomas, who is Nigerian and Ethiopian, is the daughter of diplomats.
The 28-year-old's parents, consisting of an Ethiopian mother and a Nigerian father, worked in the government to improve Africa's economic development.
Due to her parents' professions, the actress moved around a lot and lived in various countries like Kenya, Benin, Comoros, Uganda, and India, which exposed her to social issues. In an interview with Teen Vogue, Thomas opened up about having conversations about politics and government at a young age.
"Dinner table conversations were about politics, about African governance. I realized that in a lot of the countries I lived in, the effects of colonialism and imperialism were so blatantly obvious. That became the driving force for what I thought I should be doing as an adult," she said.
Later Thomas would ultimately reveal that her parents' work had inspired her to become a "doctor or something" because she wanted to make them proud.
Arsema Attended Carnegie Mellon University and Yale University
Prior to pursuing acting, Thomas revealed to Shondaland that she was a college graduate.
In 2016, she received her bachelor's degree in biophysics from Carnegie Mellon University. Following her graduation, Thomas interned at a mobile health clinic and a refugee camp in Kenya for over a year.
Around the same time, the star would continue her education by getting her master's in epidemiology and health policy at Yale University. Thomas disclosed that despite the educational success that she has achieved, acting became her main priority when she realized that this is something she could envision herself doing "100 percent of the time." This decision led Thomas to relocate to Paris, South Africa, and then to London to study drama.
"I packed up everything and moved to Paris because I wanted to do acting 100 percent of the time," she stated. "It was always something I had wanted to do, [but] I didn't think I would be able to. I thought it was going to be a hobby or a thing that I'd have to suppress in myself for the rest of my life."
Thomas would land her first role in 2021 as a guest star on the television series One Touch. Shortly after, she would participate in the 2022 film Redeeming Love as the character Rebecca. The rest would be history because, around that time, Thomas would receive the life-changing role of Lady Agatha Danbury in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Arsema On How She Prepared for Her Role In Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story
When the opportunity for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story came along, Thomas took various steps to transform into Lady Agatha Danbury.
The actress, who has admitted to never seeing Bridgerton in the past, told Cosmopolitan UK's Up Close series that because she wasn't familiar with the fictionalized character, she decided to find things that she thought Lady Agatha Danbury would resonate with.
It includes reading books about women by well-known female authors who have made history in their own right, creating a Spotify playlist with music that Lady Agatha Danbury could listen to, and having waist beads made for her character.
"There was a lot of stuff I needed to get into this role because the character is fictional. So I read a ton of books about women or by women, that I thought that Agatha Danbury would resonate. So I read 'Ain't I A Woman' by Bell Hooks. I read Angela Davis' autobiography. I read Assata Shakur's autobiography, 'Tar Baby' by Toni Morrison, 'Eyes Are Watching God,' and 'Vaga Bonds' by Eloghosha Osunde. I made an extensive Spotify playlist, and I got waist beads made for Agatha," she explained.
Further in the interview, Thomas mentioned that she had waist beads made for Lady Danbury and wore them throughout the filming process because it helped ground her as she portrayed the character whom she described as entirely different from who she is as a person.
"It was a Nigerian woman threading these beads, and I asked her to thread beads specifically for this character, and I wore it throughout the entirety of filming," she said. "Because it was just kind of was a physical grounding point to this woman that is really, really actually far from who I am as an individual."
Thomas shared that talking to her grandmother, who had a similar background to Lady Danbury, such as having an arranged marriage at a young age, also helped her prepped for the role.
"I also talked to my grandmother a lot. I didn't realize how similar she was to this character. Because she was also married off when she was quite young," she revealed. "It was really interesting to kind of talk to someone in my life who I've known, who’s gone through something that is essentially the stripping away of their freedom, and someone who doesn't have any resentment or harbored anger towards the situation."
Arsema Worked At The United Nations
Thomas' work experience is an interesting one. Despite interning at three different health organizations, she previously worked at United Nations Population Fund, according to her Linkedin profile.
United Nations Population Fund's site states that the organization is part of the United Nation's "sexual and reproductive health agency." The gathered information on Thomas' profile says that she was an associate for the company from 2017 to 2018.
Some of Thomas' responsibilities included conducting "policy analyses" for United Nations Population Fund's sustainability and "supporting the regional desk specialist" in the program's division.
Arsema Speaks Five Languages
On top of Thomas' overwhelmingly impressive resume, the actress also speaks five languages.
According to the African publication Bella Naija, Thomas speaks English, Amharic, Yoruba, French, and Spanish. Although Thomas hasn't publicly talked about what inspired her to become multilingual, many can assume it is because of the various locations she has lived in throughout her life and her interest in learning.
Thomas may be a rising star now, but with the facts provided above, the actress has displayed through her work ethic and drive that she can soon become a household name.
Thomas' latest work Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, is now streaming on Netflix.
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Feature image by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images