September 9, 2022

A Life Well Traveled: The Many Adventures of Ulla Vancil

About Brookdale Senior Living

Brookdale Senior Living offers multiple care levels for seniors in more than 600 communities nationwide. Brookdale helps you find the right care plan for yourself or your loved one. With amenities such as transportation services, salons and private dining rooms and activities such as gardening, fitness classes and trivia nights Brookdale caters to a wide range of interests and needs.

Residents and associates of Brookdale Avondale know that they can depend on Ulla Vancil for a dependable dose of fun stories and laughs. You can typically find her on her community’s screened-in porch, often regaling her fellow residents with tales of her many adventures. Her exciting travels have taken her to India, Paris, Rome, Madrid, Thailand and many other far-flung locales. Her favorite place to visit was Russia, where she fell in love with the buildings and the scenery.

Born in Sundsvall, Sweden, Ulla is one of six children. When she was 15, she moved to England and lived with a family who helped her to improve her English. Ulla then relocated to the United States when she was 26 and met her husband, a doctor specializing in optometry. They moved to Wayne, Illinois, and wound up having two children. Those two children eventually had their own children and moved down to Florida, which is what led Ulla to the front door of Brookdale Avondale.

“Everyone is so nice here,” said Ulla about the associates of Brookdale Avondale.

Those associates love to hear Ulla’s stories as much as the other residents do. Talking about her cherished memories often brings a smile to her face and brightens the days of those around her. Once she starts talking, people usually just start to gather around her because they know things are about to get interesting.

In 1949, Ulla was a flight attendant with the Swedish soccer team. On their flight to Ireland to face the Irish national team, the mayor of Dublin invited her to join the action on the field. Although that would be a dream come true for many, Ulla wasn’t entirely impressed.

“That was the first and last soccer game I ever watched,” she quipped.

One of her most popular and frequently requested tales is about her elephant ride in Nepal. In 1971, she traveled all the way to Nepal for a vacation with friends. When they arrived, they actually rode elephants from the airport to the hotel, a trip that took them nearly four hours. The hotel was located near the foot of Mt. Everest.

“The view of Mt. Everest was absolutely breathtaking,” said Ulla. “The hotel we were staying at was on stilts so we had to climb a ladder to get to our rooms. And we had to watch out because there were tigers throughout the surrounding area!”

During her time at Brookdale Avondale, Ulla has made quite an impression on the residents and associates of the community. She truly enjoys sharing her stories and making people laugh.

“Ulla is a very special resident to me,” said Erin McCann, resident programs coordinator at Brookdale Avondale. “She brings so much joy to our community. You can tell that she lived such an amazing life.”

On any given day, you can find Ulla weaving a rich tapestry of adventurous tales for a transfixed audience of her peers. Even though she may not always realize it, Ulla continues to impress, motivate and inspire everyone around her.

“Ulla inspires me to be more adventurous and appreciate every moment of life,” said Erin. “She’s the type of resident that reminds me why I do what I do.”