"Never did anything very exciting until I started this adventure": Ohio grandma Joy got her first passport at 91, and at 96 she has now visited all seven continents with her grandson
Some people spend their whole lives waiting for the "right time" to begin something. They think that they will travel when the kids are grown up, when work slows down, or when life is a little less busy. But for many people, that time never quite arrives, and the dream stays tucked away in a drawer.
But an Ohio grandma who received her passport at 91 has travelled across all the continents and flipped the script on what we end up thinking.
Grandma received her first passport at 91 and has travelled all seven continents by 96A 96-year-old woman from Ohio has finished something most people only dream about. Joy Ryan , known online as "Grandma Joy," has now visited all seven continents with her grandson, Brad Ryan, 45. According to a People report, the pair recently went to Thailand and Australia to complete the list.
Australia was the last stop, where Joy loved seeing koalas and their babies, called joeys. She called Australia a beautiful country, said the koalas were very cute, and remembered feeling proud of herself for reaching her goal, saying, “Well, old girl, you finally made it!”
What is the story behind their journey?The duo who spent 10 years apart before reconnecting, as Brad had been estranged from his grandmother for years after his parents' divorce. In the fall of 2015, he called her and invited her camping in the Great Smoky Mountains. Brad knew Joy had never seen a mountain. According to PEOPLE, Joy was 85 when she slept in a tent and climbed a mountain for the first time.
That beginning led to many more trips, across the United States and later across the world. People say the duo finished all 63 national parks in May 2023.
The last park they visited was the National Park of American Samoa, and Joy needed a passport to get there, which is why she obtained her first passport at 91.
Once she got the passport, there was no going backJoy admitted she had "never did anything very exciting until I started this adventure." The pair went on to Kenya, where they saw elephants, and Ireland, where they explored old castles.
In Thailand, they spoke with Buddhist monks and visited templesBrad said a conversation with a young monk helped him see how important it is to notice how people are connected, instead of dwelling on painful experiences from the past. He added that their travels helped him move beyond earlier difficulties and begin a happier chapter.
Their story shows that it is never too late to say yes and the adventure isn't over, either.
But an Ohio grandma who received her passport at 91 has travelled across all the continents and flipped the script on what we end up thinking.
Grandma received her first passport at 91 and has travelled all seven continents by 96A 96-year-old woman from Ohio has finished something most people only dream about. Joy Ryan , known online as "Grandma Joy," has now visited all seven continents with her grandson, Brad Ryan, 45. According to a People report, the pair recently went to Thailand and Australia to complete the list.
Australia was the last stop, where Joy loved seeing koalas and their babies, called joeys. She called Australia a beautiful country, said the koalas were very cute, and remembered feeling proud of herself for reaching her goal, saying, “Well, old girl, you finally made it!”
What is the story behind their journey?The duo who spent 10 years apart before reconnecting, as Brad had been estranged from his grandmother for years after his parents' divorce. In the fall of 2015, he called her and invited her camping in the Great Smoky Mountains. Brad knew Joy had never seen a mountain. According to PEOPLE, Joy was 85 when she slept in a tent and climbed a mountain for the first time.
That beginning led to many more trips, across the United States and later across the world. People say the duo finished all 63 national parks in May 2023.
The last park they visited was the National Park of American Samoa, and Joy needed a passport to get there, which is why she obtained her first passport at 91.
Once she got the passport, there was no going backJoy admitted she had "never did anything very exciting until I started this adventure." The pair went on to Kenya, where they saw elephants, and Ireland, where they explored old castles.
In Thailand, they spoke with Buddhist monks and visited templesBrad said a conversation with a young monk helped him see how important it is to notice how people are connected, instead of dwelling on painful experiences from the past. He added that their travels helped him move beyond earlier difficulties and begin a happier chapter.
Their story shows that it is never too late to say yes and the adventure isn't over, either.
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