Creator Q+A: @aroundtheworldat80

Shruti Singh: How did you both meet and how did you start traveling together?

Sandy Hazelip: Well, the way we first met... First of all, when my husband was alive, he suggested that we start taking our grandchildren on mission trips in the summertime. So he had planted that seed in my heart, and shortly thereafter he became ill and passed away. 

Ellie Hamby: And then, my husband died suddenly five years after Sandy's husband. And we quickly realized while we're very different personalities, we both had a love of people and were super positive. So that's really what started it. And while I'm the more adventuresome one, who was the one that started the first trip? (points to Sandy)

SH: Well, one night, late, drinking coffee, I said, "Ellie, I have always wanted to ride the Trans-Siberian train. Is that something you'd be willing to do with me?" So, whoop, yep! We rode the Trans-Siberian train.

EH: Second class! Because we are 100% budget travelers.

SS: What was the moment where you decided, "We're going to start recording and sharing our trips?"

SH: Well, since we had taken these other trips when we were young… in our 70s, ha! In anticipation of getting old and turning 80, I mentioned to Ellie one day, "Wouldn't it be fun to go around the world in 80 days at age 80?" Well, Ellie again jumps on the bandwagon, and we have every hotel reservation made, every airline reservation made, and [then] COVID shuts it down.

But COVID didn't shut us down. We made the trip the following year with all of the plans we had made, and our new theme was: Around the World in 80 Days at 81 and Still on the Run!

EH: And when we started the trip, we had Facebook and a brand-new Instagram account. That's all we had. I'm a photographer, so I could take photos. And we were picked up early on by the news media, by CBS the first couple of days. And we had a friend helping us with the social media 'cause we could write it up, we could send the photos, but we needed help getting things posted. And she said, "Why don't we try TikTok?" We said, "Sure."

So three weeks before our around-the-world trip was over, she posted our first TikTok. Our seventh TikTok went viral with 6.4 million views, and our world changed. I mean, we never went on TikTok, we really didn't even know what a TikTok creator was. It was just one of those things, you know, 'cause for a lot of people that's their goal to become one. Literally in two weeks' time, we became TikTok creators, and everything changed.

SS: I think the most beautiful thing is that a lot of your audience is Gen Z and millennial, and they say that your content gives them a lot of hope about aging and friendship.

EH: I think that's one thing, you know, our friendship is something that has resonated. I mean, last month, we had a TikTok video with — I think it's 15 million views — and it's all about having a friend like Sandy. Everyone [commenting], "I want a Sandy." And of course, 70% of our audience on TikTok is under 50 years old. The people that stop us when we're traveling are the younger people. We have really given them something to look forward to. That just because you're getting older, there's still these phenomenal chapters waiting for you. And it's just been really encouraging for us to see the influence we've had on young people, middle-aged, and others.

SH: And that has been such a reward for us that we never dreamed possible.

SS: Sandy, you have a medical background, and Ellie, you work as a photographer. How have those skills helped in your travels and your creator journeys?

EH: Well, for me, being a photographer really has helped, 'cause whenever CBS said, "We want B-roll," I knew what they were talking about. And so that has helped 'cause we can do fairly good photos, and I don't mind. Actually people like to keep telling us, "Oh, you're bringing along someone to do all your photos." And to that, we say, "Absolutely not.” We have a tripod, an extendable tripod, put my camera on, and a remote. And then we start talking in front of it and things, or else we ask a stranger. And we've asked strangers all over the world. We ask younger people, we don't ask people our age 'cause they're usually clueless on how to do it. But we ask, "Hey, would you mind taking a video of us?”

SH: May I also add, she said she is a photographer. That doesn't mean she has a studio where people come in. She is a wildlife photographer. She takes photos of charging rhinos! And you ask how my background as a physician has helped... Ellie, tell them about when we were in—

EH: Papua New Guinea? Oh, yes! Well, we were staying out in Papua New Guinea in a village with a couple, Fabian and Mildred. And it was just on the Solomon Sea, and there was no electricity, no running water, no indoor toilets or anything, but it was phenomenal. And then Mildred, the wife, cut her toe. And of course Sandy was right there, 'cause there was no doctor anywhere! And she was able to take care of her, so that came in handy, her being a doctor.

SH: And also on my being a doctor… Ellie is extremely, extremely adventuresome. I'm the scaredy-cat cousin of the group. I don't do all the crazy things that she does. And so when she is ziplining, or swimming in the Amazon, my comment to her while I'm on the side drinking coffee is, "Ellie, I'm a doctor. I practice preventive medicine."

SS: Older creators are now one of the fastest-growing demographic on TikTok. Would you advise other people your age to become creators?

EH: I say absolutely! Because, you know, they have a lot to share, and I've watched some older creators, and they are so cool! And just because you're getting old, people don't need to treat you like you're getting old. And older TikTok creators can show the world just because we're older doesn't mean we stop living. Get out there and do it, it's been great for us and really lifted us up. I think there is a big place for older TikTok creators, and from our experience, the audience is out there waiting for you.

SH: My specialty in medicine was geriatrics, and I only retired last August when I was 84. But all the years when I was younger and taking care of my geriatric population, the stories they had to tell were just phenomenal. The wisdom they brought into a group was amazing. And it was such a wonderful lesson for me when I was a younger physician to be taking care of geriatric patients and to learn from their experiences in life. So, yes, I think having older people share and be creators on TikTok is just a blessing to the world.

EH: And it's really not that difficult at all. I mean, I can do a TikTok video! Don't be intimidated by that.

SS: I'm also curious, are you both on social media much? Are there any creators you like and follow?

EH: I've always been more social media than Sandy. Well, she is on it, but I'm more into it. I love travel creators, and there are some I follow. The young creators are all so cool, doing all these cute moves and filming all this wild stuff, and Sandy and I know we can't do that kind of stuff, but we have to be us. And that's what we found is working: we can't try to be something younger, we just have to be us.

SS: Last thing, what’s your craziest travel story?

EH: We had an encounter with the KGB when we were leaving Lake Baikal in Siberia; we were going to Mongolia. The KGB came on the train asking for passports. There was this big Russian man in our compartment. His hair was disheveled, and he had pajamas on. I remember I said to Sandy, "Pajama Man's down there, and he's not friendly." Well, pretty soon, within 30 minutes, the KGB started searching Pajama Man's compartment.

SH: Taking down ceiling tiles, pulling down luggage…

EH: Next thing we know, Pajama Man walks out in handcuffs. Of course then, maybe we are accomplices with Pajama Man! KGB comes to our compartment, does the same thing, but we didn't go out in handcuffs, did we?

SH: And then after about an hour, the big KGB lady came in and said, "You! Only witnesses to the crime!" And I said, "What crime?" And she said, "We found a— I don't remember the name, it goes in a gun.” And I said, "A bullet?" "Da! A big bullet!" Then she said since we are the only witnesses, we have to come to testify. But first we had to give her all our information. And I guarantee you, if the KGB in the middle of Siberia wants your email address, your phone number, and everything else about you, you're going to give it.

EH: They haven't called us back to testify, so we're good.

This Q+A is part of Verified, a newsletter that is published by Washington Post Creator, a division outside The Washington Post’s newsroom focused on the creator economy and content partnerships with independent creators. Learn more about Washington Post Creator.