“It’s Never Too Late” is a series that tells the stories of people who decide to chase their dreams on their own terms.
When Eleanor Hamby and Dr. Sandra Hazelip met more than two decades ago, they were best friends at first glance. They never imagined that one day their friendship would be mentioned news showsjoke about on “Saturday Night Liveand stop people in a Tokyo train station to exclaim, “Oh my God, you are the TikTok traveling grannies!”
Mrs. Hamby, 81, and Dr. Hazelip, 82, has inspired people around the world with their project “Around the World in 80 Days: At 81 and Still on the Run”, named in homage to Jules Verne’s 19th century adventure novel. Their travels earlier this year took them from the icy shores of Antarctica to the rocky majesty of the Grand Canyon, garnering over a million likes from thousands of followers along the way. “We didn’t expect this at all,” Ms Hamby said.
The women first crossed paths in their late fifties with a Christian medical mission in Zambia where Mrs. Hamby, a documentary photographer, was the director and Dr. Hazelip, a recent widow, had come as a visiting physician. Five years later, Mrs. Hamby’s husband also died unexpectedly. Dr. Hazelip wanted to move her medical practice to Abilene, Texas, where Mrs. Hamby lived, but did not want to move completely. So Dr. Hazelip made her friend an offer. “She said, ‘If you give me a bed two nights a week, I’ll take you out to dinner,'” Ms. Hamby herself.
During those weekly visits, they discovered a shared love of travel. “One day I said, Ellie, I’ve always wanted to ride the Trans-Siberian train. Do you think that’s something we could go out on together?’ Dr. Hazelip remembered. That was their first big adventure, in 2008, and trips to Southeast Asia and the Middle East followed in 2010 and 2011.
On their first few trips, the pair used one blogging to keep their friends and family informed. For the 80-day tour, a friend helped them set up accounts on Instagram And TikTokand soon thousands of followers around the world were on the journey.
“People kept saying how much we have a inspiration – an inspiration for one good friendshipan inspiration for out And to do things‘ said Mrs Hamby. The whole experience “has certainly been a life changer.” And they don’t stop.
The friends can’t travel all the time – they both still work, Dr Hazelip at a hospice center and Ms Hamby on the medical mission – but their next trip, across South America, is already in the works for 2024, Dr said Hazelip. “And our theme will be: ‘We Are 82, and Travel We Can Do.’” (The following interview has been edited and shortened.)
How did you plan your 80-day trip around the world?
ELEANOR HAMBY: Well, we started with the book: “Around the World in 80 Days”, by Jules Verne.
Dr. SANDRA HAZELIP: We wanted to go to as many cities as the main character, Phileas Fogg, would have visited on his journey. We also knew we definitely wanted to go to all seven continents; he didn’t. And then we wanted to see as many wonders or natural wonders of the world as we could.
HAMBY: In the end we went to 18 countries and eight wonders. Sandy made a Word document for each day of the trip. We always start with accommodations, figuring out where in a city we want to stay, because location is No. 1. We really just need a place that’s clean, because we don’t spend much time in the hotel. And then we look for the best price. We love finding these little gems like where we stayed in Cairo: $13.50 per person per night. It wasn’t the typical place most tourists would stay – we had to get there in the alley – but we had a million dollar rooftop view. We are proud of the budget.
HAZELIP: People will say, “I wish I could afford a trip.” I say, “Well, you bought a new car last year. I went around the world in 80 days.”
HAMBY: If there is something big, exciting that we know we want to do, like snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, we ask the hotel to recommend a company and book that in advance as well. The rest we leave to the locals to tell us.
How do you adapt when a spanner in the works is thrown at the last minute?
HAMBY: Sandy and I basically have a positive view of a problem. It’s not like, “Oh woe to me, what are we going to do,” crying. No, we see the problem and we know there is a solution. We just need to keep a clear mind and a smile on our face, and the solution will come.
Was traveling always a big part of your life?
HAMBY: I grew up on a farm in Oklahoma, in a very rural area, and I really didn’t travel at all. But I was constantly reading about people like Amelia Earhart or books by authors like Pearl S. Buck. I was just really interested in any woman who was exploring. My husband and I got married when I was 18, and after we finished college, we took a real budget trip to Mexico City. That was the beginning, because we learned that we didn’t have to be rich to travel, and we could enjoy it.
HAZELIP: My husband and I, our trips were mainly for family reunions in Kentucky or to visit grandparents. Our first real trip, after our kids grew up, was a Caribbean cruise. That was so much fun, but it was also much more my husband’s kind of vacation.
HAMBY: Sandy and I are not cruise people. We like to travel to meet the locals, not other tourists.
HAZELIP: Shortly before my husband fell ill, he planted a seed in my heart to take our grandsons on mission trips in the summer. And so, after he died, when I heard about Zambia Medical Mission, I decided to go on that journey and bring a grandson with me. That’s how Ellie and I met. And since then, travel has only exploded.
What do you like most about traveling together?
HAMBY: Sandy hugs everyone – not just a casual hug, a good hug – and she’s always smiling. I really like that about her. I’ve never been a hugger; my family can tell you that. It’s not my psyche. But Sandy taught me to be more open with people. It was very nice to see how people all over the world needed Sandy’s hug.
HAZELIP: Ellie taught me that it’s really important to be in the right place at sunrise and sunset so you can get the right light for that good shot. And she’s just so nice.
HAMBY: We were just lucky that we crossed paths and came into each other’s lives when we did. When you lose a partner it’s very hard, and it’s great to have a friend who has had the same experience and understands how to be a friend to someone when that happens. A strong friendship is really crucial to the grieving process.
How do you respond to your family if they are worried about your big trips or say, “Grandma, are you sure you want to go through Lapland or Bali on your own?”
HAZELIP: I can run circles around you, kid. On artificial knees.
HAMBY: We say to everyone, “We haven’t been on vacation. We went on an adventure.” And we never missed a day; we were on an adventure or we were flying. Therefore, not too many people will travel with us. My kids like to relax on the beach. They want to stay in more expensive hotels.
HAZELIP: That’s not an adventure for us.
What advice would you give to people dreaming of an adventure like yours?
HAZELIP: Get up from your easy chair. Step out of your comfort zone. Make some plans and live.
HAMBY: Age is just a number. If you think you want to try something, don’t be afraid to get out. Do it. Because you will regret if you don’t, and you will never regret if you do.
What have your travels taught you?
HAMBY: Trust people, because they are basically good. Just reach out and smile. Seriously, a smile will bring friendship. It will open doors. It will knock down that barrier or make that person more likely to help if you have a problem. I guarantee you will have a much more fun trip and you will meet a lot more people when you smile.