When Sandy Hazelip proposed to her longtime friend Ellie Hamby a whirlwind trip to celebrate their milestone birthdays, the 81-year-old jumped at the chance idea.
“She said, ‘Ellie, why don’t we think about traveling the world in 80 days, when we’re 80?'” Hamby recalled in a recent interview with NBC Dallas-Fort Worth.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic required the two friends of 23 years to delay their plans for turning 80, the pair finally made their voyage.
On January 11, 2023, at the age of 81, the two set off and disembarked from Dallas, Texas. First stop: Antarctica.
“We went to the North Pole in Lapland, saw the Northern Lights, and sledding. We were in Zanzibar. We went to Egypt, India, Nepal, Bali, Japan, Rome, and of course London,” shares Hamby .
During their journey, their stories captured the attention of social media platforms as they traveled the globe and visited every continent in the world. The more they track their progress, the more recognized they are.
“People would ask us, ‘Do you guys have TikTok?’ Well, no. Maybe we should let this go,” Hanby explained.
They ride husky sleds in Finland, soar in hot air balloons in Egypt and hunt for wallabies in Australia. They spent six days in Bali and then two full days, traveling the notoriously rough Drake Passage on a rough boat.
Eventually, they began to expand their social channels from Facebook and Youtube to Instagram and TikTok, and at different ports, the two octogenarians began to realize that they were building a fan base.
“I’m from Rwanda,” one user commented in a TikTok Q&A they shared. “We’d love to have you here.”
“After watching 9 news items in Colorado, I had to come to you (two)!!!” replied another. “You two are amazing”
Speaking of their growing following, Hamby recalled being recognized at the airport.
“Even when we got to LAX, two guys came up and said, ‘You’re a TikTok travel granny,'” Hanby explained. “Yes! That’s us.”
While the pair recently returned to Texas, they said they hope their travels will inspire future generations to continue exploring, even in old age.
“What excites us both is how we bring joy to people when they follow us on this adventure,” Hazelip said.
