Is anywhere safe? Outside of a combat zone, or a country where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advised travellers to avoid, most countries can be regarded as relatively safe, including much of the Middle East. But that could change overnight.

To find an English teaching post, look in the overseas jobs pages in ‘The TES’. Most appointments are for either one or two years, so I don’t see your age being a problem provided you can convince an employer why you want to work in his or her school. You can offer considerable experience.