81 and still havin' fun

Texans Ellie Hamby and Sandy Hazelip met over 20 years ago at a medical conference in Zambia. The two women hit it off immediately, bonding over their love of travel and different cultures. 

But the story doesn't end there (if it did it'd be the shortest and most boring story in Positive DONUT history). Over the past two decades, Ellie and Sandy have stayed close, spending time together both in their Texas homes and on multiple trips to bucket-list destinations. 

As both of them approached their 80th birthdays, Sandy had a bold idea: inspired by the Jules Verne novel, she asked Ellie to join her in traveling around the world in 80 days. 

• “And at first she kind of had big eyes like ‘ahh!’" Sandy recalled to KACU, "and then about 30 seconds later, ‘Yeah that would be great!'”

While the pandemic delayed their original plans, the besties set off on their 80-day adventure on January 11th, with plans to visit every continent, all seven Wonders of the World, and 18 different countries by April 1st (this Saturday!). 

So far, the ladies have visited Antarctica, Easter Island, South America, Europe, the Arctic Circle, the United Kingdom, Africa, Bali, India, and Japan. They're lovingly calling their trip "81 and Still on the Run." 

• "Don't sit in that chair and waste away," Sandy told CBS, talking specifically to other elderly people wanting to travel. "If you don't use it, you lose it!" 

And while that advice was aimed at older folks, this is for anyone who's ever followed an Insta account with "wanderlust" in their bio: Sandy and Ellie pride themselves on being budget travelers, flying coach, and booking hotels with an average cost of only $29 per person a night.

• "Someone asked us if we were taking a holiday," shared Ellie, "and we said, 'No, we are taking an adventure.'"

❤️ Family pride: Both of the women's families are supportive of their bold adventures.

• “This is just a very cool opportunity for anyone, but especially for people who are older, and I’m so proud of her,” Sandy's daughter shared.
•  And according to Ellie: "My daughter is not too concerned. She just says 'Well, if Mom falls out of a hot air balloon in Egypt or off of the mountain ... That's fine. She's living the life she wanted to live, and I'm happy for her.'"