When Texas best close friends Ellie Hamby and Sandy Hazelip turned 80, they made the decision to rejoice the landmark birthday by traveling the world’s seven continents in 80 days.
The adventurous octogenarians, from Dallas, subsequently turned popular on Tiktok, and Instagram following charming tens of hundreds with their warm friendship and awesome spirit of adventure.
Setting up in January, the ‘traveling grannies,’ who have been close friends for 23 many years, began their journey in Dallas, Texas, exactly where they departed on their way to Antarctica, in which they explored a land of ice and penguins.
That would have been the excursion of a lifetime for many – but not for Hamby and Hazelip, who set about exploring the world’s other 7 continents.
‘We went to the North Pole in Lapland and noticed the northern lights and took a sleigh ride. We were in Zanzibar. We went to Egypt, India, Nepal, Bali, Japan, Rome and of class, London, far too,’ Hamby told NBC5.
The pair pose with the Northern Lights – just a person end on their inspiring experience about the world in 80 times
The pair, each widows, posted photographs of them selves to their TikTok account that amassed 50,000 followers and 900,000 likes.
End users observed Hazelip and Hamby putting on matching outfits on a swing in Bali, dancing in Nepal, staying carried all over in a rickshaw in India, and on a warm air balloon in Egypt.
‘People would request us, ‘Do you have TikTok?’ Very well, no. Perhaps we should really get this likely,’ reported Hamby.
‘Even when we arrived in LAX, two people came up and claimed, ‘You’re the TikTok touring grannies.’ Indeed! That is us.’
The duo also uncovered their way to Easter Island, noticed the Northern Lights, and posed with wildlife including elephants and lions.
Folks all-around the environment would prevent the seniors and notify them they had been an inspiration, which both equally mentioned they would keep onto as they readjust to their lives in Abilene and Eastland, Texas.
To begin with, the pandemic postponed the vacation, so the mates have been truly celebrating their respective 81st birthdays all over the seven continents.
But they say the vacation they put in years setting up was well worth the wait around, all they wanted was a slight name change to the itinerary: ’81 and still on the run’ grew to become the official title of their tour.
Ellie Hamby poses with a lion in Zambia for the duration of her mammoth – but slightly COVID-delayed – 80th birthday celebrations
Ellie Hamby poses on a camel in Egypt during the mammoth journey she and mate Sandy Hazelip took to celebrate turning 80
The duo pose in matching purple dresses on a swing in Bali, using on adventures that would daunt many men and women much younger than them
First halt on the vacation was Antarctica – but alternatively than settling for a a person-location excursion of a life time, Hamby and Hazelip just kept going
Equally agreed that their preferred component of the vacation was the individuals they met alongside the way
‘The issue that has excited both of us is how we have introduced individuals joy as they adopted us on this adventure,’ mentioned Hazelip.
The pair, who landed again in Dallas late last month, precisely 80 times following they departed, hope that they have encouraged associates of future generations to know it is hardly ever as well late to go on the expedition of a life time.
After the vacation, Hazelip explained the pair are everything but worn out.
‘Vacations are tiring. You get worn out on a getaway,’ she explained to United states These days. ‘This is not a getaway, this is an adventure, and an adventure just revs you up to preserve heading much more.’
