“Just go!” – 79yo Filipino-American Grandma Has Traveled To All 193 UN-member Countries

Travelling is probably one of the most common things that everyone has on their bucket list and as we grow older, we realise that it may not be as easy as it seems.

One grandma by the name of Luisa Yu has travelled to all 193 UN- member countries and she did it before turning 80!

In an interview with NBC6, Luisa said that she was born in the Phillippines and went to the US, specifically St. Louis to further her studies back when she was way younger.

As she came from a tropical climate country, she could not get used to the cold and started searching for a warmer place to live in. After 2 buses and 3 days of travelling, Luisa found herself in Miami and decided to stay there for the rest of her life.

After she was all settled down, she decided to explore the USA and she managed to visit 45 states. However, it wasn’t enough for Luisa and she decided that she should travel to other countries and explore them instead.

She dedicated the next 50 years of her life to travelling and made many friends in different places and of all ages. The one common thing that they all have is that they call Luisa ‘Mama’.

“They call me Mama because I am the oldest, and they are young,” she said.

Most of these friends have convinced her to make her last destination to be Serbia so that they can celebrate her and she did just that!

Speaking about the experience, the 79-year od said:

“When I exited the airport, there were people clapping and cheering.”

As she has travelled so much, she said that she is unable to name a favourite country but the Top 3 (in no particular order) are Italy, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Luisa will be turning the big 80 in a few months and she said that she has lived a full life.

“I fulfilled my dreams, owning a house and travelling all on my own. I’m just happy. I want to thank all the people who have been so nice and kind to me.”

She also advised those who are thinking of exploring the world to “just go.”

“Don’t be afraid, just go. Don’t wait for anybody, because if you wait, it will never happen.”

Now this is what we call a world tour! Bravo to Luisa!

Also read: M’sian Traveller Shares How Much He Spent to Travel Around the Entire Peninsula Malaysia in 12 Days