Wanderlust leads Walsworth to every corner of the world

One could argue that Audrey Walsworth’s tiny hometown of Marceline in north central Missouri was a physical emblem of small-town America — it was, after all, the inspiration for Missouri native Walt Disney’s iconic Main Street USA. The 2020 census puts the town at a population of 2,123. It encompasses 3.5 square miles. But Walsworth, BJ ’56, longed to see so much more. Wanderlust first found Walsworth in 1969 at the age of 35. She followed that sense of wanderlust to Lithuania. More than a decade passed before her next trip abroad.

“I thought, ‘This might be the last one,’” Walsworth said of that first trip overseas. “And then 11 years later, China opened up, and I was sitting one night, having a drink with my husband, Don, and I said, ‘You know what? I’d kind of like to go to China.’ Well, next thing I know, he's got me signed up to go. After that I got the fever. And believe me, I really got the fever.”

“The fever,” as Walsworth described it, took her to all 193 UN-recognized countries and 327 Travelers’ Century Club Territories. Walsworth is quick to point out that it was no small feat for someone who didn’t start traveling abroad until her mid-30s. And traveling as a woman presented additional challenges.

Walsworth recalls traveling alone to Yemen, a destination that was difficult to reach and not entirely receptive to single female travelers. Upon arrival at her hotel she was informed that she didn’t have a reservation, so she quickly showed the hotel manager her confirmation. 

“He had to let me have a room, but as far as he was concerned, I was a woman traveling by myself, and so consequently I didn't have a room,” she said. “They weren’t used to women traveling. Period.”

Extreme climates created unique circumstances, as well. On a trip to the South Pole, Walsworth was warned to be careful which geographic landmarks she used for directions, since a little hill made of packed ice and snow could be gone in mere minutes thanks to extreme wind. But for Walsworth, every trip — even those that brought extreme weather conditions and unwelcoming innkeepers — was worthwhile.

“You know, I learned something every single time,” Walsworth said. “And if you don't learn something, you're not going for the right reason.”

Lessons learned abroad

Walsworth stopped by the University of Missouri’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business recently to talk with students about her travels and what they’ve taught her, in hopes of inspiring young people to catch that fever, too. First and foremost, what she’s learned from traveling abroad is that there’s no one way to approach life.

“You can do the same thing 25 different ways. We do it a certain way, and we think it's the only way to do it, but then we see villagers do the same thing in a completely different way and end up with the same result,” she explained. “So that's an important lesson to learn.”

Thanks to contributions to the Trulaske College of Business, the Walsworth family has provided Trulaske students with the opportunity to expand their perspective of the world by participating in the Walsworth Study Abroad Program. 

“Audrey’s generosity has supported many students to travel globally and learn from their experiences,” said Balaji Rajagopalan, dean of the Trulaske College of Business.

It was the Walsworth Study Abroad Program that provided Jayden Reyes, BSBA ’24, with a life-changing opportunity to travel to Peru.

“Hiking Machu Picchu was a bucket list of mine, and being able to do that while gathering unique cultural experiences, building on my resume, and being able to really see what business looks like in another country, as well as making memories that I carry with me for the rest of my life, has truly made a big impact on me and my career moving forward,” Reyes said.

Walsworth credits her husband, Don, a longtime Trulaske College of Business supporter, for funding her trips. Though he preferred to stay close to home, he enjoyed seeing the world vicariously through her tales. The COVID pandemic, age and loss of her travel companions ultimately forced Walsworth to give up her travel pursuits at the age of 88, but she holds onto numerous souvenirs, an abundance of cherished memories and a fundamental understanding of humanity that comes only from having experienced it — firsthand — in every corner of the world.

“When you go to Africa and you see a mother taking care of her baby, or you see someone helping an older person getting across the street, you see that all over the world, people treat people the same,” Walsworth said. “All around the world, they treat people with kindness, for the most part. We're all the same. We're all human beings with the same love.”

Mizzou’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business prepares students for success as global citizens, business leaders, scholars, innovators and entrepreneurs by providing access to transformative technologies, offering experience-centered learning opportunities and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.

SIDEBAR: Travel tips from one of the most well-traveled people in the world

Choosing your first destination: “When you're reading and you find yourself being drawn to certain countries, like you like to read about England … then maybe you should go someplace like that. Whatever sparks your interest.”

Determining your itinerary: “Do the obvious things. Enjoy doing those and say to yourself, ‘You know what? I liked this place. The people are nice. I understand the language.’ Or if you didn’t understand the language, they helped you understand the language. If you spread yourself too thin, you won't enjoy any of those places.”

Communicating in a different language: “Frankly, I never had any trouble with the language. I always learned basic stuff like ‘hello,’ ‘goodbye,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘how much?’ The fact that you try to speak their language goes a long way. It really makes a big difference, because it'll put a smile on their face. In fact, if you mispronounce it, it puts a bigger smile on their face, because they know you had to try hard to say it, because some languages don't come easily for us.”

Remaining flexible: “I always went every place I went because I wanted to go there. Have that kind of an attitude that, I'm here because I wanted to go here, and everything is okay. I just I never had expectations of places that weren't reasonable.”