79-Year-Old Woman Accomplishes Goal of Visiting Every Country in the World
Luisa Yu arriving in Serbia- her last stop around the world. (Source Luisa Yu Instagram)
Maimi resident, Luisa Yu,79, fulfilled her lifelong dream of travelling the world.
Yu has travelled to 193 countries, with her last destination being Serbia.
Yu was born in the Philippines and arrived in St Louis as an exchange student. She later relocated to Maimi for the warmer weather.
“It took two buses, three days,” said Yu. “And here I am for more than 50 years, and I love it. I still love Miami.”
She started travelling in her early 20s when she decided to explore the States.
“I travelled all over the United States, almost to the 45 states.”
Over the next 50 years, she visited as many countries as she could and met countless people from all ages and backgrounds.
“They call me Mama because I am the oldest, and they are young,” she said.
Yu has won two awards related to travel in 2022, including the Nomad Mania Award.
The friends she made while travelling convinced her to make Serbia the last stop as they had planned a “party” for her.
“When I exited the airport there were people clapping and cheering.”
Yu found it difficult to choose her favorite country, naming Italy, her hometown Philippines, and Thailand as her favorites.
Her advice to give to people looking to travel the world was, “Don’t be afraid, just go. Don’t wait for anybody because if you wait, it will never happen.”
