Around the World “L” is a blog about 28-year-old, six-foot-tall, Lillie’s adventures teaching – you guessed it – around the world! Join us with today’s Blog Focus as we explore Lillie’s adventures…

Lillie Marshall left her native Boston after years of teaching to take that teaching energy around the world – and this blog chronicles many different aspects of her journey. Her experience with international education began years ago, when she spent “nearly ever summer” volunteering or taking classes in Latin America. From August 2009 to May 2010, however, Lillie spent two weeks in Japan, four months in Southeast Asia, a week in Italy, three months volunteer teaching in Ghana, and one and half months in Spain and Portugal. Now, Lillie blogs from her home of Boston to return to teaching as well as to outline her future career moves.

Lillie’s blog has a wide array of content – from links to her content featured on other sites, to detailed lists of interesting travel and teaching-related original articles, like “5 Facts on Teaching ESL” where she states:

“3) ESL Teaching Jobs Vary Widely In Hours, Pay, Stress, Structure, And Guidance Rumors abound: There’s mad money to be made in Japan and the Middle East. There’s a delightful lifestyle on tap in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Some ESL jobs in Korea are so intense that some teachers resort to the “Midnight Run” out of there. The Spanish ESL market is saturated. Which of these rumors is true?

Sometimes these murmurs are true and sometimes they’re not, but one fact is clear, jobs vary so widely that you must do your research and scope out your options well before taking that flight or signing that contract. You are precious and don’t deserve to be treated badly.”

Spend some time on Lillie’s site and you’ll see a wide range of topics covered – from “blogging and technology” to “race and travel.” Perusing “Around the World L” is enough to get anyone thinking – and wanderlust-ing – like crazy!

She manages to weave together many different aspects of her experience seamlessly – while still tying in some practical advice that can be applied to individuals embarking on a gap year – or even a simple vacation! In this post she explains how a “Clothes Swap” can help you save money for a trip abroad – and get you a new wardrobe!

Lillie also separates her blog by location, allowing the reader to get a more in-depth and complete look at all the places she taught. In the “Ghana” section, she explains how a group of Ghanian students will travel to the UK this August for a “cross cultural exchange” and how they are seeking donations. In every section, the reader can get a little taste for what Lillie’s travel tastes are like, as well as a sense of her passion for teaching and commitment to her students.

Lillie makes it very easy to stay in the loop with her, listing all of the possibilities at the bottom of this page. You can subscribe to an RSS feed of her blog, or connect with her on Twitter or Facebook. If you’re considering a gap year  or career break and want inspiration – this blog might just inspire you to make that next step!

Are you considering teaching abroad? If so, where would you go, and why?