We often hear it becomes more difficult to make friends later in life, but two Kendal at Home members have developed a friendship that has been truly transformational.
Yolanda Cruz and Ruth Devereaux have toured the world together in their retirement, and they’re just getting started.
The pair was featured on WKYC’s “Heartstrings” segment, where they talked about how they met, where they’ve been and what’s next for them.
Watch the segment below:
Meeting Over Coffee In the Cold
Yolanda, 74, is a retired biology professor who has been traveling for more than 50 years for work and for fun.
Ruth, 72, is a retired nurse practitioner who met Yolanda through Kendal at Home’s virtual book club and realized they shared a love of adventure.
They agreed to meet for coffee outside on a freezing day several years ago during COVID.
It may not have been the best first impression, Ruth recalled, but it was the start of something special. A hike at a state park followed, and they started talking about travel more seriously.
“I promptly convinced her that we should go to Sicily,” Yolanda said.
What Makes Them Great Travel Partners
Ruth, an avid kayaker, compares traveling with another person to being in a tandem canoe.
You have to be in balance with each other and keep moving together in the same direction for the partnership to work. She knew they would be good partners when they encountered several obstacles on that first trip.
At one point, they had to race to the gate to catch a connecting flight and realized they were equally exhausted physically from the effort. Toward the end of the trip, they both got sick and took care of each other.
Since then, they’ve taken several trips together and have pushed each other outside their comfort zones.
On a trip to Morocco, Yolanda was afraid to ride camels, but Ruth convinced her to go for it — and she loved it.
They both enjoy connecting with different cultures, meeting families who live there, and trying local foods.
“Our favorite restaurant was a hole in a wall,” Ruth said. “He said, “I have beef bones and lentils and bread, and we said, ‘OK!’ It was the best food ever!”
So Much More To Explore
In the past few years, Yolanda and Ruth have hiked through mountains, explored ancient ruins and architecture, gone snow tubing, and made many memories together.
As a history buff, Yolanda said one of her favorite trips was hiking Hadrian’s Wall in England.
She recently traveled to Croatia, Albania and Montenegro, completing her years-long tour of the Mediterranean and adding to her growing knowledge of the Roman Empire.
Now she and Ruth are planning a two-week trip to India. They enjoy researching the best ways to get around and which sites to see.
“I hope we have many adventures ahead of us,” Ruth said.
When they’re not traveling, Yolanda and Ruth go to an aerobics class, and Yolanda runs the book club for other Kendal at Home members. She also looks for opportunities to get together with them in person so she and Ruth can continue to expand their circle of friends.
“I’ve met some really interesting people my age with a similar background, and that’s been invaluable,” Yolanda said. “I don’t think I could put a price on that.”
