She took all 16 grandkids on individual trips. They just surprised her with her own.
Since 2000, Grandma Noreen has planned a trip for each grandchild when they finish eighth grade. Along the way, they've made lifelong memories, from getting lost in Florida attempting to follow MapQuest directions to swimming with dolphins in California. At 87 years old, Grandma Noreen often calls herself blessed.
The roles reversed this past July when eight of the 16 grandchildren took her on a trip to Hawaii, a place she's always wanted to visit.
In a now-viral TikTok posted by Lindgren last week, the family is seen onboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight to Oahu when a flight attendant makes an unexpected announcement over the intercom of a "shout out from a very grateful group of grandkids" to a "true VIP" onboard – their grandmother.
The grandchildren secretly planned this public declaration as a way to express their appreciation, the goal of making her feel special from the moment the trip began. "She's got a million stories, she loves to share them and it's so lovely," Lindgren told USA TODAY. "We were like, well, we're all gonna be sitting together. She might not be able to share her stories with people, so let's make sure her story is told."
In the TikTok, the flight attendant reads a script written by Lindgren: "We're still not sure how she did it but somehow she made every single trip unforgettable and never met a stranger along the way. So now it's her turn. They're taking her on her dream trip and doing their best to stop her from organizing the whole thing."
"Grandma Noreen, thank you for your love, your courage, and your endless curiosity, for being our biggest fan, our favorite travel buddy, and the queen of making memories," the crew member continued as the grandmother wipes tears from her eyes.
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A longstanding family tradition
The tradition started in 2000 with Lindgren, the eldest grandchild, when she was 14 years old. Lindgren's grandfather had suddenly passed in 1996, leaving Grandma Noreen wondering what to do during retirement – the idea of a grandmother-granddaughter trip struck.
The two went to New York City, where they waved signs in the crowd for the "Today Show" and watched a river dance performance since Lindgren was a dancer growing up.
Since then, Grandma Noreen has repeated the trip with each of her 16 grandchildren. (They propose several destination options, but the final choice is grandma-approved.)
With one of them in tow, she's visited the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Florida; NASCAR race shops in North Carolina; and the Basketball Hall of Fame in Boston. She also took an Amtrak trip with another grandchild to Washington, D.C. – a journey that granddaughter hopes to recreate with her own children.
Last year, Grandma Noreen went on her final trip with the youngest grandchild, so now was the time for her own travel dreams to come true.
Story continues below.
For years, the grandchildren had been discussing an all-cousin trip as a sort of reunion, but wanted to include their grandmother. They asked her where she's always wanted to go, and she answered with Hawaii. It was where her husband was stationed during the Korean War, and a place the couple never made it to together.
"In my head, I was like, I can't hear my grandma say she wished she did something and not try and make it happen for her," Katie Sypniewski, one of the grandchildren, told USA TODAY. "So, I just shared the idea with my parents and then some of my cousins, and we just started kind of seeing how we could make it work."
This past Christmas, the family surprised her with a trip to Hawaii by placing a lei, or flower necklace, around her neck. Although all 16 grandchildren tried to make the trip, only eight were able to go. Significant others weren't invited – it was just family time.
Quality time in Hawaii
Lindgren's family is quick to smile when thinking about their weeklong trip to Hawaii with their grandmother, from visiting Pearl Harbor to playing in the waves on the North Shore and becoming addicted to Dole Whip, the famous pineapple-flavored soft serve from the Dole Food Company.
The eight grandchildren had been to Hawaii before, and wrote their own island-wide tour to take their grandmother on – each contributing something to show her. A moment that stood out to the family was touring Schofield Barracks, where their grandfather was stationed during the 50s. It was a must-do for Grandma Noreen.
"We all have busy lives and we're all in our 20s and 30s, so it was just fun to be able to just slow down," Lindgren said. "I don't even know the last time we've spent six days together if we ever have consecutively, like all as cousins."
The trip gave Lindgren and her family rare time with just each other, no outside distractions or obligations. "Even then (at family reunions), our partners, our kids, our parents, our everybody is in one house together, so it's not as much quality time, just the specific people," she added.
In a little over a week, Lindgren's TikTok received over 4.5 million views. "It's been pretty cool to hear people's stories, how they wanna take my grandma's legacy and pass it on to their families, or sharing stories of their own family experiences," Lindgren said. "It's pretty cool to see that the impact she has on us, she now has on a lot of other people."
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