Jakarta, ThedailyID — Joy Ryan, an American grandmother, received her first passport at the age of 91. Now 96, she is preparing to continue her global adventure by visiting Thailand and Australia with her grandson, Brad Ryan.
The trips are bringing the pair closer to their goal of visiting all seven continents together. Their journeys are supported by Road Scholar, a nonprofit organization that provides educational travel programs for older adults.
Joy’s adventure with Brad began in 2015, when she was 85. Brad invited his grandmother to go camping in the Smoky Mountains, where she saw mountains for the first time.
What started as a simple camping trip eventually became a seven-year journey across the United States. Together, they visited all 63 national parks, covering around 100,000 miles, or approximately 160,000 kilometers.
In 2023, Joy completed her goal of visiting every national park in the country at the age of 93. Her story went viral, earning her the nickname “Grandma Joy.”
For Brad, however, their travels are about more than seeing new places. The adventures have also helped rebuild their relationship after years of family estrangement.
Now, the grandmother and grandson are preparing to explore Thailand and Australia. In Thailand, they plan to learn about local history and culture while experiencing the country’s food and spending time with local families.
In Australia, they will focus on wildlife conservation, an area closely connected to Brad’s work as a wildlife veterinarian and conservationist.
Road Scholar describes journeys like theirs as “Co-Gen Travel,” referring to intergenerational trips taken with children or grandchildren.
After spending much of her life in Ohio, Joy has now experienced landscapes ranging from mountains and deserts to glaciers, oceans, and rainforests, showing that adventure does not necessarily have an age limit.
