Ellie Hamby and Sandy Hazelip have seen the Northern Lights in Finland, sailed down the Amazon River at night, and ridden the Trans-Siberian Railway – and they did it all in their 80s.
Hamby and Hazelip are the 85-year-old best-friend duo behind the popular TikTok account @aroundtheworldat80, which has over 110,000 followers. Calling themselves the "traveling nanas," the Texas-based women chronicle their travels around the world as octogenarians, showing how their age doesn't stop them from exploring the furthest corners of the globe. In fact, their many years of lived experiences and wisdom work in their favor.
"When you’re younger, [you] think when you’re sixty, I’m just going to stop and not do anything," said Hamby, who is also a photographer.
"Life is just beginning at 60, 70, 80."
Their travels around the world are documented in a joint memoir, "Here We Go: Lessons for Living Fearlessly from Two Traveling Nanas," which was published in September 2025.
Together, the grandmothers have visited over 50 countries on all seven continents and have no plans to slow down. They're living proof that adventure can come at any age.
A friendship forged
In a way, Hamby and Hazelip were fated to become travel buddies. They met on an international trip. It was over 20 years ago, during a medical mission to Zambia that Hamby organized and where Hazelip was one of the doctors.
"If you can go to Zambia and sleep out in a bush in a tent with no running water, no electricity, then you can travel anywhere," Hamby said.
About five years later, the women grew closer. At the time, Hazelip spent two nights a week at Hamby's house because she took a medical director's job at a nearby geriatric clinic. Then, Hamby lost her husband in an accident, and she turned to Hazelip, whose own husband had died years ago from illness. They bonded over grief during late nights drinking coffee and talking. Or, as Hamby put it: "One chapter closed, and another one opened."
It was during one of these chats that Hazelip mentioned she always wanted to ride the Trans-Siberian Railway – the longest in the world that crosses the expanse of Russia. Hamby didn't hesitate to say yes.
The two embarked on their adventure in 2008, even having what they believe was an encounter with the KGB when their empty train car was stopped, and a mysterious man interrogated them. They took it in stride, stayed calm and discovered they were compatible as travel companions.
"We weren’t sitting there wringing our hands and crying … actually, it was sort of an adventure," Hazelip said. She added that her career in emergency rooms has helped her stay calm in stressful situations, and the two also benefit from Hamby's experience directing medical missions.
The friends point out how they're different from each other – with Hamby saying she's made of "spice" but balanced by her friend who is more "sugar." They even set aside solo time on their trips, like if Hamby wants to zip line in New Zealand, Hazelip will relax with a cup of coffee. At the end of the day, seeing the world with their best friend has been priceless.
"It really has been fun to share it together, being the same age and never having a clue that any of this would ever happen," Hamby said.
Adventure at any age
Just before 2020, the duo decided to plan their biggest trip yet to celebrate turning 80: travel around the world in 80 days, inspired by the Jules Verne novel, "Around the World in Eighty Days." They had everything booked and ready to go, but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed their travels. In January 2023, the women finally embarked on their worldwide exploration, hitting all seven continents, including the seven wonders of the world. They visited Portugal, Japan, Easter Island, Antarctica and more – and they did it all on their own.
"We did everything ourselves," Hamby said. "No travel agents, no one going with us. We carried our own luggage, and we met friends."
For seniors, travel is more than just fun; it can support active aging and improve their well-being. Research supports that navigating new places and meeting new people can contribute to positive emotions and higher self-esteem.
Their independence and the way they embrace the unknown struck a chord online. Even though the women weren't trying to become viral or famous, people became interested in their story once they started sharing their travels on TikTok. To the women, their age was never a limiting factor.
"We always say we’d rather fall off the mountaintop than fall out of a bed at a nursing home, provided we have a choice," Hamby said. "Keep moving. Once you stop moving, your body shuts down."
And they're still on the move – even with four artificial knees and one hip replacement between them, as Hazelip jokes. They're currently returning to each continent for an entire month, taking the time to dive into destinations they didn't spend enough time in. In Asia, they'll hone in on Southeast Asia, such as Bhutan and Laos.
"It really is about saying yes," Hamby said. "Adventure has no age limit."
Kathleen Wong is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY. She's the author of "The Conscious Traveller Hawai'i" and is based in Hawaii.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: They turned 80 and decided to travel the world: 'It really has been fun'
