Travel.state.gov has travel advisories that can act as a starting point for additional research into potential hazards present in certain countries.
Don't let the advisories there dissuade you from going somewhere though! They tend to make the world sound scarier than it is.
Depending on what sort of experience you're looking for I'd say make it easy on yourself and start with somewhere touristy. Even if you go halfway around the globe to a place with a drastically different language and culture you'll be fine if the people there are already thoroughly accustomed to dealing with english speaking foreigners.
Read up on common scams though!