81-Year-Old Best Friends Travel The World Together To Visit 18 Countries In 80 Days
Mar 01, 2023 by apost team
Two best friends, age 81, have embarked on a wonderful adventure together by going on a trip to 18 countries to see the Wonders of the World in 80 days.
Ellie Hamby, a documentary photographer, and Dr. Sandy Hazelip, met during a medical mission nearly two decades ago, and they became fast friends because of their wanderlust. They took their very first trip together in 2008 in Russia and told Big Country Home Page that they had such an experience being questioned by KGB agents.
They went to the Middle East for their second trip in 2011 and narrowly escaped an escalating war in Syria, and then they had their third travel adventure in Southeast Asia before Hazelip suggested to her best friend that they should go around the world in 80 days when they turn 80 years old. The idea sprung from the classic novel, "Around the World in Eighty Days" by Jules Verne, featuring the character of Phileas Fogg, a wealthy businessman who had a lot of assistance during his travels.
The pair started planning in 2020. However, Hamby and Hazelip had to postpone their plans until January 2023 because travel was difficult during the uncertainty of the lockdowns.
But setbacks are not new to these seasoned travelers as Hamby and Hazelip are used to making adjustments brought on by their experiences during their medical missions to different countries. They have never used a travel agent for any of their airline or hotel bookings, and they always travel on a budget, sometimes even sleeping at the airport when plans change beyond their control.
Hamby and Hazelip also pack light and don't go on pre-programmed tours. Instead, as much as they can, they interact with the locals and take public transportation despite the language barrier.
The best friends’ 80-day trip around the world was going to be an adventure to cherish and celebrate after enjoying a full and good life. They even created a blog, Around the World at 80, to document everything, including the planning stages.
On Jan. 11, 2023, the best friends embarked on their trip, now dubbed, "Around the world in 80 days – at 81 and still on the run." By the end of February 2023, Hamby and Hazelip have crossed their halfway mark in Egypt to see the pyramids and ride a camel, and a hot air balloon, just like Fogg did in the novel. They are looking forward to completing more adventures in the next half of their trip.
Sheryl Ramsey, Hamby's daughter, said that she's the least bit worried that something might happen to her mother while abroad. Barbara Lambert, Hazelip's daughter, also has the same mindset as Ramsey, and she has nothing but pride that her mother and her old friend are taking this opportunity together.
"I could never imagine my mother sitting in a hospital bed and just wasting away," Ramsey told KACU. "If she’s gonna pass away or if she’s gonna leave this life let her do it on a camel or let her do it in a hot air balloon or going down the river."
These trips have given the best friends a chance to appreciate the beauty of the world created by God, and the people they meet are almost the same, wherever they may be in the world. They have dedicated this latest adventure to their departed husbands, Dom and Kelly, whom they described as "encouraging."
"We miss you and wish you were joining our adventure," the best friends wrote on their blog.
apost.com
Are you inspired by these best friends’ travels and their commitment to not waste away their lives? Let us know, and pass this story along to a friend or family member who has a heart for adventure as well!