Around the world... on my pension pot
A PROPERTY boss has used her pension nest egg to go on a round-the-world adventure.
Tracey Mobley quit her highflying job and took £14,000 from her pot as soon as she turned 55 – despite friends saying it might be unwise.
But after spending six months visiting and volunteering in far-flung spots, she says she has no regrets and would do it all again.
The single mum of two adult sons said: “I counted down every birthday for five years until I could fulfil my dream.
“I know the thought of cashing in my pension and spending the money now horrifies a lot of people but I had to do it.
“I’m already not as fit as I used to be and this is only going to deteriorate with age, so I wanted to push myself and live my life while I still can.”
During her travels, Tracey – who’d been a property support manager in charge of 18 staff – taught English to Maasai tribespeople in Tanzania and vaccinated dogs in South Africa.
Liberating
She also cared for orangutans in Borneo and built stone walls in Namibia to protect farmland from elephants.
Along the way she studied for a Field Guides Association certificate in southern Africa so she could lead her own tours, then ended up at New Zealand’s volcanic springs.
Tracey, of Lichfield, Staffs, said: “I’ve spent the last 20-odd years dedicating my life to my sons, and I felt it was time to do something for me.
“I didn’t want to be a tourist. I made a plan that I would have my own adventure when they didn’t need me and having the option of tapping into my pension made it doable.
“My heart pounded more during the last six months than ever before. But it’s been the most liberating thing I’ve felt.”
Tracey still has three-quarters of her private pension and is considering what to do next.
She said: “By the time I’m 65 I might not be fit enough to wade through rivers or track animals or throw myself off bamboo rafts any more.”