The 89-year-old woman who is still travelling the world solo

She sold her engagement ring and began a lifetime of seeing the world.

It all started with an ending: a broken engagement and a broken heart, back in January 1956. That's when Joy Fox, then 20 years old and living in the small riverside town of Wivenhoe, England, began to consider the world beyond her village.

Fox came from humble beginnings and a grim World War Two childhood, and she had never travelled. But she recalled the stories her mother had shared of her voyages to Egypt, China and India with Fox's father, who was a Pipe Major with the Royal Scots. Fox's older brother Alan had often talked of his own trips to Venice and the beauty of the city. With those bits of inspiration, Fox, weepy over lost love, decided her time had come. She sold her engagement ring and with the proceeds embarked on her lifelong passion for exploring the world.

"I have no clue how I got myself from that village to Dover and onto the ferry," said Fox. "But then I took the train across France and Switzerland to Italy. And that was my first taste of being away from home."

Now 89 years old, Fox has yet to slow down. She continues to explore the world with as much relish and enthusiasm as her 20-year-old self did. That boundless spirit of adventure recently earned Fox the JourneyWoman Evelyn Hannon Award for Solo Travel, from JourneyWoman, a global organisation dedicated to promoting solo travel for women over 50. The award is an acknowledgement of a person who, ever since that first trip from Wivenhoe decades ago, has led a life of adventure. 

"I had no idea I would still be travelling at this age," said Fox. "But being blessed with good health means I can still see more of the world."

That first foray into the world was a joyful two-week exploration of Italy that left Fox inspired and emboldened. She befriended an Italian during the trip who showed her the country's highlights – together, they took in Portofino, Rapallo, Milan and more.

"I met Luigi at a dance, and he toured me around the Italian Riviera," Fox recalls. "The only problem was, he wanted to show me all of the churches, but I wasn't dressed appropriately, so I couldn't get into any of them," Fox recalled with laughter. "But now, I'm smarter and always bring a scarf with me on my travels."

When the two weeks came to an end, the trip had more than served its purpose. Not only was Fox's broken heart mended, but she returned home to Wivenhoe feeling very brave. A world traveller had been born. "I came back feeling much better about myself, self esteem restored," said Fox. "And Luigi sent me beautiful photos of our time together."

During the ensuing years, Fox's family moved from England to Vancouver, Canada. And after a blind date that led to a swift six-week courtship, Fox married and started a family of her own. The next chapter of her travels involved adventures with kids in tow, often camping.

"My husband was a camper, and he kind of helped me to understand nature… he wanted to see all the waterfalls and rivers," said Fox.

Fox's family, which grew to include three children, explored much of the western United States from their home base in Vancouver. And when her husband's career required relocating to Ontario, on Canada's eastern side, the family made an adventure of it, driving across most of Canada. Then, they continued their explorations of the United States, this time along its East Coast.

Later, when Fox's children were grown and her husband was occupied with business travel, Fox went back to solo globetrotting and continued doing so after her husband passed away in 2015.

"My husband would tell me to 'Go and do it', and I still had the travel bug, so I went to Europe. I've been everywhere in the [United] States and Canada," Fox said. "I went to Monaco, Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands." 

For her 65th birthday, Fox made a special trip back to Scotland to explore the country where she was born but had left at three years old when her family relocated to England. During that three-week journey, Fox retraced a particularly meaningful route through the country – from her birthplace at the barracks of the Royal Scots in Edinburgh to the location where her family finally departed from Scotland.

"I laid those ghosts," said Fox, reflecting back on that experience, which she said has become one of many treasured travel memories.

"Scotland is a favourite simply because I was born there. But I also had a moment in Scotland, it was dusk, and the piper came out and played The Lament…" her voice trailed off. "It's moments like that I love."

For her 84th birthday, Fox visited Norway, creating yet another unforgettable life experience: "Seeing the Northern Lights for my birthday was amazing," she says.

Other travels took her to Australia, where Fox explored the Great Barrier Reef, despite the fact that she's afraid of water. In New Zealand, she hired a car and explored the entire country and even went swimming with dolphins in the wild while there. It was an experience that required hanging off the back of a motorboat by her feet, while dolphins swam around her.

"I thought, I will never be able to do that, I'm terrified of water," Fox explained. "But [the guide] said, 'No, we've got you, you've paid to do this, so do it.' So I did it and I'm so glad I did…I was screaming the whole time…with excitement."

Dolphins swam and lept in the water around her so close Fox could nearly touch them. The woman who was terrified of water, says she thought to herself: "Oh my god, I am never going to do something better than this."

Decades of solo travel have also taught Fox a great deal about how to navigate new parts of the world on her own. Most important, she says, is to get comfortable with your own company. She recommends taking time to prepare yourself for that first solo trip by exploring locally first.

"Go and eat out a few times, so that you're used to eating out on your own when you go abroad," she advised. "I like my own company, I'm happy as a solo person, but it's important to get used to [it]."

For trip planning, sometimes Fox uses the assistance of a travel agent. Other times, she navigates the details entirely on her own. And on the rare occasions when Fox travels with groups, she makes a point to break away on her own.

When choosing destinations, safety is also top of mind for Fox, who often books women-owned accommodations. This, she says, provides her with an added layer of comfort.

"I don't look for tourist activities," when travelling, she said. "I look for things that get me in the heart – like seeing whales break."

Fox isn't the type to keep count of all the countries she's visited over the years, nor does she put pins in a map to record where she's been thus far.

"There's a map in my garage", though, she admitted. "I guess I could keep track.". But it's apparent that for Fox, the memories are enough. And she's not nearly done with her travels yet.

At 89, Fox says she's not able to run around the world with a big backpack anymore – and a 2018 spinal surgery for nerve damage has slowed her down somewhat – but she still rattles off a long list of travel plans nonchalantly, naming the journeys she has in the works or places she still hopes to visit in the future.

Fox plans to be in Malta for what would have been her 65th wedding anniversary later this year. After that, she will visit Italy, this time to tour with a choir she sings with. And Fox hopes to take a special trip to mark her big upcoming birthday – her 90th. She has a whole list of places under consideration: the Azores, the Canaries or perhaps a return to Italy again, this time to see Lake Como.

More like this:

• Seven ways to fall in love with romantic Verona

• Where to have a solo date in New York City

• The industrial English city with more trees than people

Fox adds that she has also thought about walking the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain, a route that's 825km long from start to finish and winds through some of Europe's most stunning scenery. It's a travel bucket-list goal that's daunting for even the most experienced hikers.

"I want to do it because I don't think I can," she explained. "But who knows? Maybe you can, maybe you can't."

And there's one more trip that has crossed her mind: returning to the areas of the Italian Riviera she explored at just 20 years old.

"I have that wonderful first memory of Italy. I'd like to see that area one more time if I can," said Fox.

--

If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter called "The Essential List". A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Culture, Worklife and Travel, delivered to your inbox every Friday.

Join more than three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.