Episode 15

full
Published on:

25th Nov 2025

Never Too Late To Find Your Best Friend: The Traveling Nanas at 81 Travel the World in 80 Days

What if the friend who transforms your entire life does not show up until your sixties?

Two women share a life changing friendship that leads to an 80 day trip at 81. In this inspiring episode of Call Me Friend, Daryn sits down with Ellie Hamby and Dr. Sandy Hazelip, the viral duo known as The Traveling Nanas, to explore how their friendship transformed grief into adventure and joy.

After losing their husbands, Ellie and Sandy found comfort, strength, and purpose in each other. What started as a simple connection turned into a life changing best friend bond that carried them across seven continents in 80 days at age 81. From the Drake Shake in Antarctica to the Trans Siberian KGB incident to escaping Syria as war began, their friendship is the heartbeat that pulled them through every wild chapter.

This episode is packed with friendship wisdom, emotional storytelling, and real talk about grief, courage, and saying yes to life. It is perfect for anyone looking for hope, connection, and proof that the right friendship can change your story forever.

What You Will Learn In This Episode

✅ How a late in life friendship helped two women heal after losing their husbands

✅ Why the right friend can pull you into joy, courage, and adventure again

✅ The simple moment that sparked their 80 day global journey at 81

✅ How trusting each other helped them navigate danger, fear, and big unknowns

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Timestamps

  • (0:00) Sandy shares how the idea for the 80 day world trip began
  • (1:07) Daryn introduces The Traveling Nanas and their powerful friendship
  • (3:33) The moment Ellie and Sandy first crossed paths
  • (5:29) How a missions workshop pulled them closer
  • (8:10) Ellie loses her husband and Sandy reaches out
  • (11:19) Who started their tradition of saying yes to adventure
  • (13:04) The idea for Around the World in 80 Days at 80
  • (14:39) Surviving the Drake Shake in Antarctica
  • (17:00) Heading straight to the Arctic Circle
  • (21:18) Becoming witnesses in a KGB investigation
  • (24:58) Leaving Syria as war begins 
  • (27:03) Breaking down the money myth around world travel
  • (29:02) Why second class travel helps them build deeper friendships
  • (35:29) How they give each other space in their friendship
  • (43:29) Sandy shares why Ellie changed her life

Key Takeaways

🔹 Friendship can restart your life at any age

They became close in their sixties, and that bond created a whole new chapter filled with purpose and joy.

🔹 You do not heal grief alone

Their friendship gave them strength to move through loss with hope instead of fear.

🔹 Different personalities can create the strongest bond

They fit together like puzzle pieces, giving each other room to grow.

🔹 Stay open to connection and the world gets bigger

Second class trains, mission trips, and saying yes to strangers brought them friendships across the globe.

Resources:


Ellie Hamby

Ellie is a humanitarian photographer and world traveler who spent years doing medical mission work in Zambia. Her bold spirit, curiosity, and love for people shaped the energy behind The Traveling Nanas. Ellie brings the big adventure vibe and a deep belief in the goodness of humanity.

Dr. Sandy Hazelip

Sandy is a physician, grandmother, and storyteller whose calm, thoughtful presence balances Ellie’s fearless side. After losing her husband, her friendship with Ellie helped her step out of her comfort zone. Sandy brings heart, grounding, and gentle wisdom to every journey they take.

Together they show how a strong friendship can rebuild your life, expand your world, and bring joy back into your story.



friendship podcast, late in life friendship, female friendships, friendship after grief, Traveling Nanas, Call Me Friend podcast, women over 60 stories, friendship inspiration, traveling with friends, best friend stories, viral friendship story, around the world at 81, friendship and resilience, healing through friendship, adventure at any age



Transcript

CMF_EP15_Traveling_Nanas

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About the Podcast

Call Me Friend
Who do you call when life gets real? When the good news hits, the heartbreak lands, or you're just having one of those days—you call a friend. That’s the heartbeat of Call Me Friend—a feel good biweekly podcast that drops you into the kind of conversations that remind us who we are, where we belong, and why friendship matters.

Hosted by former network news anchor, wife, mom, and Airbnb host Daryn Kagan, Call Me Friend is your weekly reminder of the joy, laughter, and healing that come with connection. Each week, Daryn picks up the phone from Ms. Lou’s Cabin—a 50-year-old log home she and her husband lovingly restored and turned into an Airbnb—to chat with someone in her world, whether it’s a celebrity, her childhood bestie, or someone she just met along the way or maybe even YOU. No matter who she’s calling, the focus is always the same: celebrating the power of friendship and connection.

Every episode kicks off with a ring-ring and drops you into a real-life conversations between friends. These aren’t interviews with hot takes or polished soundbites—just raw, funny, heartfelt, deeply human chats between people who genuinely know and care about each other. From lifelong friendships to surprise connections, everyday legends to familiar names, Call Me Friend is a front-row seat to how beautiful, messy, and meaningful friendships can be.

This show is for anyone craving more depth, more heart, and more of the good stuff that makes life not just bearable—but beautiful. It’s a cozy corner of the podcast world where emotional wellness, storytelling, and humor live in harmony. Whether you’re looking for comfort, relatable stories, or a pick-me-up on a hard day, this podcast is for you, yes YOU. Expect wild stories, sweet memories, laugh-out-loud moments, and those quiet “Yeah… me too” pauses that make you feel truly seen.

Fun segments like “You Gotta Meet My Friend” spotlight special guests introducing someone they love, while “Call Me, Friend” invites listeners to write in with questions and stories. And the “Friend Questionnaire” keeps things surprising, uncovering the quirks and connections that make every friendship unique.

What makes Call Me Friend stand out? This show isn’t about networking or hustle. It’s not self-help. It’s heart-help. Because friendship isn’t just background noise—it’s the main character. If you’ve ever found joy, comfort, or healing through a friend—or just needed someone to say, “I get it”—this is your space.

Call Me Friend is more than a podcast. It’s a weekly call you can count on. A soft place to land. A reminder that even when life feels messy, everything gets better when you talk to a friend. If you love heartfelt conversations, personal stories, and a little laughter with your life lessons, this is the one you’ve been waiting for.

So whether you're commuting, folding laundry, walking the dog, or just trying to quiet your mind—remember this: you’re not alone. Someone out there gets it. Someone out there would totally take your call.

Go ahead, pick up the phone.
Let’s laugh. Let’s cry. Let’s Call a Friend.

About the Host:

Daryn Kagan is a former CNN anchor turned full-time storyteller. After leaving the fast-paced world of network news, she built a life rooted in purpose, connection, and authenticity. Now living on the quiet Georgia coast, Daryn records Call Me Friend from Ms. Lou’s Cabin, a restored 50-year-old log home turned Airbnb. From there she runs the nationwide Just One More Foundation giving grants for second chances. A wife, mom, dog mama, and connection junkie, Daryn’s superpower is bringing people together—and her gift for real conversation is what makes this podcast feel like catching up with your favorite friend.

Just One More Foundation : https://www.justonemorefoundation.org/
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Daryn Kagan