From D.C. to Hungary, Meet the 69-Year-Old Whose Travel the World, Linda Malys Yore
By Antonia Rainey | WeINSPIRE Journalist
AUSTIN, Texas — Standing before the steps of a majestic building decorated with glittering golds and blues accents is a woman. Dressed elegantly in a floral dress, she looks off in the distance as she holds her bicycle. The building behind her is the St. Regis Washington, D.C., situated in downtown D.C. near historical monuments and museums, some of which she will visit soon enough. Meet Linda Malys Yore, the 69-year-old travel blogger who’s been all around the U.S. and the world and isn’t stopping any time soon.
Yore’s love for travel was instilled at a young age by her parents, and later Yore would pass that love onto her two daughters. Around when her daughters were in elementary school, Yore and her husband at the time would take family RV trips across the country and parts of Canada. According to Yore’s website, she likes to call herself the “original blogger” as while on her RV trips with her family, she would write detailed email posts full of her travel experiences to send out to her list of followers. It wasn’t until around the start of 2017 when her oldest daughter and mentor, Victoria, gifted Yore her blog, Lindaontherun.com.
At first, Yore cried. Victoria, who worked on social media and was a travel writer herself, had always told Yore about putting her travels out online, but Yore wasn’t interested. When Yore found out about her blog and the adjacent social media accounts, she didn’t want to do it. However, with some hard work and dedication, Yore soon found herself warming up to the idea two years later.
“It is a lot of hard work, and I love every second of it, and that was probably one of the best gifts that I ever gotten in my entire life,” Yore said.
Starting out, Yore hadn’t realized the work that went into writing blog posts and taking pictures for Instagram. According to a 2019 Pew Research survey, despite older generations having problems in adapting to technology from lack of confidence to accessibility issues, Baby Boomers have begun to increase their usage of social media.
“It was a steep learning curve,” Yore said. “I didn’t know how to make a pin on Pinterest or how to do a picture for Instagram. Facebook was my generation’s social media platform.”
While the internet was upcoming in her generation, Yore mostly knew communication through emails and, later, Facebook. Yore was up to the test despite the challenge, and her hard work paid off, gaining around 73.5K followers on Instagram alone.
Yore doesn’t skim out sharing her photos, showcasing every colorful moment from her travels on her Instagram— sitting before the twinkling lights of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, looking out before the grand, neo-gothic Hungarian Parliament Building, and even visiting the U.S. Capital in Washington, D.C. To date, Yore has visited 49 U.S. states, seven Canadian provinces, and over 30 countries.
Yore at the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest. Photo Courtesy of Linda Malys Yore via her Instagram, @Lindaontherunofficial
When traveling, Yore often goes along with her two daughters and friends, and some of her favorite places include Machu Picchu in the Andes, Alaska, and Russia. For Yore, she finds that traveling changes others’ preconceived notions about one another, citing Russia as an example. Growing up, Yore only knew Russia and the people from what she saw on TV: a cold, distant place with unfriendly people. Thus, when she traveled to the country, she was surprised by how cheerful and friendly everyone she met was. Yore finds it essential to recognize that every place has its own culture and customs, different from those viewed in the media.
“Every place has its own history and its own culture, its own food, its own language and just like I was self-limiting when my daughter recommended that I start off on this journey, traveling helps us broaden our perspectives and have respect for other people,” Yore said.
Yore at the Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ in St. Petersburg, Russia. Photo Courtesy of Linda Malys Yore via her Instagram, @Lindaontherunofficial
According to May 2021 statistics from the Morning Consult, 38% of adults surveyed expected to travel during the summer used social media to plan their trips, with 84% of those who follow travel influencers said they look to influencers for recommendations. Furthermore, according to thewanderingrv.com March 2021 travel statistics, one out of ten Baby Boomers rely on social media for travel-related decisions; however, they are also the second group next to Millenials to be influenced by travel ads.
Yore takes her responsibility as a travel influencer very seriously as she knows people contact and look up to her for travel recommendations and expectations. For her, it is important to be transparent with her experiences, both good and bad, especially on social media, as it can be tricky sometimes for viewers to differentiate what is true and not.
“I don’t want somebody to go on an experience, or on a trip, or take a tour, something that I did that did not turn out positive for me that I know could be a consistent problem with a particular event or experience,” Yore explained. “I always try to find the positive, but if there is something negative that’s happening, I make sure my readers are aware of that.”
With COVID-19 ongoing, Yore has limited and changed some of her travel plans, going to more domestic destinations in the U.S. When it comes to anyone traveling, Yore advises others on a few things: have a travel budget, research travel destinations, and be aware of health guidelines. But, when it comes to pursuing one’s dreams, Yore tells others something similar she said to her daughters growing up.
“We don't get a second chance. Life is short, and life is precious. If travel is something you enjoy… whatever it is, just be aware that life is not a dress rehearsal, and you don’t get a second chance,” Yore said.
Yore at the River Street Historic District in Savannah, Georgia. Photo Courtesy of Linda Malys Yore via her Instagram, @Lindaontherunofficial.
For more information about Linda Malys Yore, visit her travel blog at lindaontherun.com or her Instagram @lindaontherunofficial.
Featured Image from Lindaontherun.com.
