I've had a few things work out well for me this year, so I'm going to take a career break in 2022 (hopefully post-virus!) and spend a year or so adventuring. I was hoping the sub could trouble-shoot my financial prep and provide any guidance.

Background:

• 34m work in IT
• Selling house to move into rental
• Being made redundant in November
• Savings (post house sale) ~£100K

Plans

• Prior to November start saving more effectively
• Trim down belongings via sale or tip to generate a handful of £'s
• Start of 2022 put my belongings into storage and cancel the rental (if I can't blag space in someone's garage...)
• Either sell my car or pass on to a partner temporarily to care for

Budget Plans (2022)

• Keeping up personal pension payments (£10,600)
• NI contributions (£780)
• Regular ISA savings (£3,000)
• Storage costs (£1,500)
• Adventure costs including living expenses (£20,000)

This will net would my savings to around £65K coming back from my break, though obviously the pension and savings part (£13,600) will not be 'spent'. A few direct questions to y'all

• This £65K - what's the best place for it? I don't have much experience with this amount of cash so a safe place for it would be useful. Once I get back it will be a cushion to land on and in the long term part of a deposit if I decide to home own again
• Is it smart to keep up my personal pension payments?

Cheers!

NB: I can't rent my house out and need to sell for personal reasons.
NBNB: If it looks like 2022 will not be a good year to take the break I should have a nice long time to see it coming, as I don't leave my job until Nov.