Meet the 94 Year-Old Who Is Traveling to Every Continent With Her Grandson— And She Got Her Passport at 91

Most people slow down in their 90s, but not Joy Ryan. At 91, she got her very first passport, and now, at 94, she’s on a mission to visit every continent with her grandson, Brad Ryan. The duo has already made history—Joy became the oldest person to visit all 63 U.S. National Parks—but why stop there?

Instead of kicking back in a rocking chair, she’s hopping on planes, crossing oceans, and proving that adventure has no expiration date.

Their Instagram chronicles their journey, from their first international stop in Samoa to epic experiences in Kenya, Canada, Ecuador, and Chile. Most recently, they reached Antarctica, marking their fourth continent and officially hitting the halfway mark of their ambitious goal.

“Grandma Joy was 91-years-old when she received her first U.S. Passport,” Brad wrote in a post. “Since then, we have visited Kenya, Canada, Ecuador (and the Galápagos Islands), Chile, and more.” And judging by their pace, there’s no sign of slowing down.

But this road trip started long before Joy ever set foot on a plane. Brad shared a nostalgic throwback photo of the two of them from 1983, when he was just two-and-a-half years old, on their very first road trip together. “I don’t know who took this photograph of me and Grandma Joy,” he captioned it.

He recalls a vivid memory from that trip—watching seagulls circle above him as his grandmother tossed breadcrumbs onto the sand. “I believe the seagulls dared me to dream big; that one way or another, I too would take to the sky one day.” Three decades later, the two of them are doing just that, jet-setting around the world together.

Brad says this adventure was sparked by a simple yet heartbreaking confession from his grandmother—she told him she had never seen a mountain. “She said it with such resignation,” he recalls.

That moment changed everything. Since then, they’ve rolled down sand dunes in Colorado, gone whitewater rafting in Alaska, and even watched whales in Antarctica. Each trip is not just about sightseeing but about rewriting what it means to grow older.

But Joy isn’t just collecting passport stamps—she’s collecting memories that prove life doesn’t have to slow down after a certain age. From meeting strangers who recognize her from their travels to inspiring countless people online, she’s redefining what it means to grow older with adventure in her heart.

Whether she’s climbing mountains for the first time or standing at the edge of the world in Antarctica, Joy is living proof that it’s never too late to say yes to life.

“We treat aging with such dread,” Brad says. “But when you see somebody in their late eighties doing incredible things, you start to ask, ‘What’s the secret?’”

His answer? Just say yes. “Show up for your life. Lean into the possibilities at every age.” And if Joy’s story proves anything, it’s that adventure is always waiting—you just have to decide to go.

When a grandmother joined her daughter’s family vacation, she expected a relaxing getaway—but her daughter had other plans. Instead of enjoying the trip, she was stuck babysitting while her daughter and son-in-law lounged by the pool. Fed up, she decided to turn the tables and teach them a lesson they wouldn’t forget.