Luisa Yu, a 79-year-old resident of Miami, recently achieved her lifelong dream of traveling around the world. She traveled to 193 countries and Serbia was her last this year. Born in the Philippines, Yu moved to Miami more than 50 years ago, fulfilling her desire for warmer weather by taking two buses and three days to get there.
Yui’s love for travel began in her early twenties when she set out to explore the United States, traveling to nearly 45 states. Since then, she has visited many countries and met countless people. Her friendship with people of all ages during her years of travel led to her being affectionately called “Mom”.
At the request of numerous friends she met on the trip, Yu traveled to Serbia for the last time, where she was greeted with cheers and applause upon arrival at the airport. Yu can’t choose her favorite country but Italy, the Philippines and Thailand are among her favorites. Her advice to potential travelers is “Don’t be afraid just go” Don’t wait for anyone because if you wait it will never happen.”
Yu received two 2022 awards related to travel which she believes allowed her to fulfill her dream. She says she could buy a house and travel on her own. As she gets ready to turn 80 in a few months, Yu feels satisfied with what she has achieved in life and expresses her gratitude towards those who were kind enough