84-Year-Old Women Visit All 7 Continents in 80 Days After Heartbreak (Exclusive)

When Eleanor Hamby and Sandra Hazelip, D.O., first crossed paths 24 years ago, they had no idea that navigating the quiet aftermath of two profound life changes – becoming empty nesters and losing their husbands – would bond them forever. 

Hamby and Hazelip first met at a medical missions workshop in Dallas, and although they shared a commitment to humanitarian service, their connection didn’t deepen until both had experienced personal loss. 

Five years after Hazelip’s husband died from an illness, Hamby’s own husband died suddenly in a tennis accident. About a month into her grief, Hamby received a surprising call from Hazelip.

Hazelip had been asked to open a geriatric clinic in Abilene, Texas, 60 miles from her home in Eastland, and proposed staying at Hazelip’s house two nights a week in exchange for dinner. 

“She said, ‘I need a bed two nights a week. If you’ll give me a bed, I’ll take you out to eat,'” Hamby tells PEOPLE exclusively. “You know what? That was 20 years ago, and she’s still here a couple nights a week, and that’s how the friendship started.”

Despite their contrasting personalities — Hazelip being warm and gentle, Hamby more adventurous and bold — late nights filled with work, laughter and endless coffee revealed how similarly they viewed life. 

“That was when we started realizing, oh my, we’re kind of looking out of the same pair of glasses at the world,” Hamby says.  

The 84-year-olds both embrace life with fearless curiosity and a shared belief that joy can be found anywhere — even on a shoestring budget. 

“I was not accustomed to the kind of travel Ellie and her husband had taken, but she talked about it all the time, and it just sounded so intriguing that finally, one day, I said: ‘Ellie, I’ve always wanted to go on the Trans-Siberian train. Is that something we could do together?’” Hazelip recalls. 

So, in 2008, they took their first major trip together outside of mission work — traveling second-class on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

In fact, their philosophy of never traveling first class and maintaining a budget of just $29 per night became a guiding principle for the many adventures that would follow.

“If you’re traveling first class, do you know who you talk to? Other tourists,” Hamby emphasizes. “But if you travel second class…stay in small, little family inns…no big chains, you know who you meet? All the local people there.”

By 2020, after a few international trips together in their 60s and 70s, Hazelip tossed out a bold idea – why not travel the world in 80 days at the age of 80? 

“I’m the more adventuresome one, but it was Sandy who said, ‘Let’s go around the world in 80 days,’ so kudos to her, because we both have that adventuresome edge to us, mine’s a little more so, but she’s the one that said the magic words,” Hamby says.

Inspired by Jules Verne’s character Phileas Fogg, the two women set out to plan their own version of the iconic journey. One evening at Hamby’s house, they sat across from each other at the kitchen counter, laptops open and ideas flying. 

Together, they listed all seven continents, followed by the major cities visited by Phileas Fogg, and then the seven wonders of the world. With their dream destinations in front of them, they pulled out a globe and began mapping their route. 

Their goal was ambitious: visit all seven continents in 80 days, and before long, they had every detail planned — hotels booked, flights secured. But just as the journey was about to begin, COVID-19 forced everything to a halt.

Still, Hamby and Hazelip weren’t going to let a pandemic stop them. In January 2023, undeterred and just as enthusiastic, they revived their plans and took off – this time with a new motto: Around the World in 80 Days at 81 and Still on the Run. 

Their resilience, humor and unshakable spirit turned what started as a playful dream into a globe-spanning reality that also catapulted them to viral fame as the “traveling grannies.”

While their 80-day journey started in Antarctica, Hamby and Hazelip have “zigzagged” to several other exciting places around the world. 

In Cairo, they found their most budget-friendly accommodation at just $13 per night. The adventure began when their taxi dropped them off in a dim alley and told them, “Just rattle the gate and they’ll let you in.” 

To their surprise, the Royal Pyramid Inn was a modest, family-run home with no lobby or hotel signage, and yet, the experience was unforgettable. The room was clean, had an ensuite bathroom, and, like many of their stays, proved that comfort and adventure don’t require luxury.

Better yet, each night, they climbed to the rooftop to watch the pyramids light up against the night sky. “Phenomenal,” Hamby describes. “We could watch the light show for $13.”

From escaping the start of the Syrian war in 2011 to enjoying a Singapore Sling at 10 a.m. or gazing at the Northern Lights in Lapland, Finland, their cinematic tales have resonated with millions across generations and borders, reminding others that it’s never too late to live out your dreams.

Hazelip tells PEOPLE that her friendship with Hamby has greatly pushed her outside her comfort zone. While they may share a common outlook on life, their travel styles couldn’t be more different. 

“Ellie is fearless,” Hazelip says. “She ziplines, snorkels with the sharks… she let the python wrap itself around her body in Australia.” 

Hazelip, on the other hand, is content with “a good book and a cup of coffee,” often reminding Hamby with a laugh, “I’m a doctor — I practice preventive medicine.”

Nevertheless, Hazelip admits to having “stretched a lot” since meeting Hamby, recalling her first trip to Zambia, where they slept in tents, used latrines and lived without electricity or running water — an adventure she would have never imagined before Hamby came into her life.

Despite years of travel, Hamby and Hazelip have remained remarkably healthy on the road. Their resilience is even more impressive considering they have four artificial knees between the two of them.  

“We’ve had no falls and broken hips on our trips, no lost luggage, and truthfully, we have been healthy,” Hazelip admits, calling it “a blessing.” 

As for their families, reactions have been mixed but full of love. “Mine are used to me,” Hamby shares. “I lived in Africa… they’re used to me being a little more out there.” 

Hazelip’s children, on the other hand, had a bigger adjustment to make. “My poor children are accustomed to me going to the hospital to work in the ER and come home,” she says, but admits that her adventurous trips with Hamby have been “a stretch” for them. 

Thankfully, with modern technology, they can keep track of her. “They know exactly where I am all the time,” Hazelip explains. “I check in every day, two or three times a day.”

While they won’t be repeating their whirlwind Around the World in 80 Days adventure, Hamby and Hazelip have opted for a slower pace – one continent at a time, for 30 to 40 days, exploring off-the-beaten-path places far from big cities. 

They are also very excited to share their many experiences through their upcoming book: Here We Go: Lessons for Living Fearlessly from Two Traveling Nanas — on sale Sept. 16 from Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

“It has been so rewarding to us to hear from thousands of people that we brought joy into their lives by following us on social media, that we inspired them to think about doing something they didn’t think they could ever do,” Hazelip shares. “We thought we were going around the world to have fun for ourselves, but this has been icing on the cake for us.” 

Hamby and Hazelip’s advice to others is simple but powerful: get out of your chair, step beyond your comfort zone, make a list of what you dream to do, and then go live it.

“There’s a great, big, wonderful world out there just waiting for you, and the people that you’re going to cross your path are just waiting there also for you to open your heart,” Hamby emphasizes.

“Your lives will be enriched beyond measure when you engage with other people and see the beauty that’s out there in our world.”

Below, read an exclusive excerpt from Here We Go: Lessons for Living Fearlessly from Two Traveling Nanas.

The Bali Swing

If there’s a single image that captures our lives in our eighties, it’s this: The two of us, Ellie Hamby and Sandy Hazelip, legs outstretched, sneaker soles peeking from the hems of our flowing gowns, swinging off a cliff in Bali. We’re hundreds of feet above a patchwork of green — lush, terraced rice fields and flowering slopes — scared to look down but shouting with joy and wonder.

As Sandy says, “We felt like butterflies.”

That day we’d set out exploring with Ketut, our driver in Bali. When we travel together, we never stick to guidebooks but ask local people what to see. Maybe because we’re grandmothers, everyone seems happy to help. Often, we strike up lasting friendships with guides, drivers, servers and shopkeepers that are rewarding adventures in themselves.

When we asked Ketut where to go, he took us to Mount Batur, an active volcano sacred to Brahma, the Hindu fire god. Near its peak there’s a beautiful lake in a caldera, or caved‑in crater, that formed thousands of years ago. Along the narrow, two‑lane mountain road were slopes on either side, planted with rice or else wild with tropical flora and giant ferns. There were few cars — mostly just workers in bamboo hats on foot or on bikes, with the occasional motor scooter zipping along. We were lulled by the beautiful scenery until Ellie called out, “Hey, what’s that?”

She’d spotted a tiny sign, so Ketut turned back. The sign read: Happy Swing.

“We’re all about happy,” Ellie said. “Let’s check it out.”

At the end of a short path, we came upon an open‑air stand serving Cokes and tea, and beyond that, at the cliff’s edge, poised over a sheer 150‑foot drop, wooden frames that held different swings. One was the old‑fashioned kind, a board on two cables that would leave your legs dangling. Another was a double‑seater that looked more like a porch swing but with a low, slatted back and a deep‑as‑a‑bed padded seat.

Wow! We just looked at each other and said, “Let’s do it!” We didn’t have a moment’s doubt.

“Hold on,” the owner told us. “You have to pick out dresses.” “No, thank you,” Sandy said. “It seems silly to dress up.”

But he insisted. “Believe me, you’ll want to. Really, you must.” He hauled out a giant suitcase, crammed full of dresses in all colors. They were ankle‑length and huge enough for us to pull over our clothes. So, giggling a little, we both chose red ones, which fit us like muumuus, then stepped back to admire each other. To our surprise, we looked sort of queenly and didn’t feel silly at all. We felt ceremonial.

Hitching our skirts up out of the dirt, we made our way to the double swing. Two workers pulled it back and steadied it as we settled on the padded seat, propped against the back with our legs out straight. There were no harnesses or seatbelts, just a couple of thin cords to circle our waists. We felt around nervously for a railing to clutch for dear life, but the workers said, “No, you don’t need to hang on. Let your hands be free.”

Deep breaths. Eyes wide, excited, we exchanged another we’re‑ in‑this‑together grin. Then the workers gave a giant heave and released the swing.

We were soaring, reaching high into the cloudless blue sky, then falling back to glimpse the collage of color far below. The only sounds were the wind’s slight whoosh and our own nervous Whoas and excited gasps. Suspended in space, we were totally rapt. It was as if years fell away, and we were restored, magically, to the pure freedom of childhood.

We’re dear friends whose thoughts often seem to meld, and we reveled in shared delight and fear‑tinged excitement. To us, life is more than a two‑act play — youth and adulthood — followed only by shrinking horizons and decline. Our families are grown, and though we enjoy full‑time work in rewarding careers serving others, we’re busy staging and living an inspiring Act Three. The gift of age is freedom — and how better to enjoy it than by opening our hearts and minds to adventure and exploring our great big wonderful world?

The trip that got us to the Happy Swing in Bali was Sandy’s idea. One night, as we sat at Ellie’s kitchen table, drinking coffee and reminiscing about past adventures, Sandy said, “We have a milestone birthday coming up. Wouldn’t it be fun to celebrate turning 80 by going around the world in 80 days?”

After a pause, Ellie leaned toward Sandy. “I love it.”

Eighty days! That was a long stretch away from our lives, work, and families, relying only on each other. Circling the globe at such a pace might be grueling — or worse, might rush us too much to let us fully experience and enjoy other cultures.

But we both love a challenge and immediately did a search on Phileas Fogg, the fictional Jules Verne hero who made an infamous 80‑day trip to win a bet. Interestingly, the first real person to test his record was a woman, the intrepid newspaper reporter Nellie Bly. In 1889, traveling by steamship, train, and the occasional rickshaw, she covered 25,000 miles in 72 days, beating Fogg’s 80‑day deadline.

Of course, today the trip is easier, but we’d use similar modes of transport. For one thing, we’re budget tourists who fly only when necessary (with airline miles, if possible); and for another, we both love trains. Bly stayed in grand hotels, but we seek out small local lodgings (under $29 dollars each per night) that bring us inside the culture we’re visiting, closer to the ordinary citizens, not the tourists. Budget travel offers greater exposure to real life in host countries and, we think, a greater chance for fun encounters. Sometimes we’ve been the fun encounters for guys who never dreamed they’d find octogenarians bunking below them in second‑class sleeper cars.

We plotted an itinerary, inspired by Fogg’s, that spanned all seven continents and featured te wonders of the world.

We gave a presentation on our planned adventure at Wesley Court Senior Living, a retirement community in Abilene, Texas, where Dr. Sandy cares for patients. This is standard fare for us — volunteering to speak on various topics at community events. As it turned out, the Abilene Reporter-News and KTAB News, a CBS affiliate, were both present at our talk and featured us — in the daily paper and on TV. We were flattered and thought it was a hoot — another adventure! — and we figured that was that. Boy, were we wrong.

Before we knew it, surprisingly, media requests were flying in, especially once we embarked on our journey. Wherever we traveled, TV stations wanted to book us—and since our motto is Just Say Yes to everything (within reason), we leaned into the adventure of TV studios and greenroom snacks. Soon, people on the street from Easter Island to Tokyo to Sydney were asking, “Aren’t you the traveling grannies?” Toward the end of our 80‑day adventure — on a lark, really — we began sharing our exploits on TikTok. Then, Bam! We had a new identity — the TikTok Traveling Grannies — and, suddenly, astonishingly, the whole world was watching us.

People asked to take selfies with us; they hailed us as celebrities, which struck us as hysterically funny. But we also kept hearing, over and over, from people wherever we went — young and old! — that we inspired them. That touched us, deeply. Knowing that we were providing real uplift for folks searching for positivity and that our example was motivating people gave us a new sense of purpose.

Traveling together — relying on each other in new thrilling and challenging situations, and sharing the intense pleasures of discovery, as well as the humdrum hassles of the journey — has cemented what was already a profound and sustaining friendship.

From HERE WE GO: Lessons for Living Fearlessly from Two Traveling Nanas by Eleanor Hamby and Dr. Sandra Hazelip; with Elisa Petrini, to be published on September 16th, 2025, by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright (c) 2025 by Eleanor Hamby and Sandra Hazelip.

Here We Go: Lessons For Living Fearlessly from Two Traveling Nanas by Eleanor Hamby and Dr. Sandra Hazelip goes on sale Sept. 16 and is available now, wherever books are sold.