She has an unyielding fascination with the miniature hippopotamus named Moo Deng. Therefore, she traveled extensively to get a glimpse of her.

She has an unyielding fascination with baby pygmy hippo Moo Deng, leading her to travel globally for a glimpse.

She found her amusement in her, and she was brimming with vivacity, Swindall, 30, shares with CNN Travel. "She's just a tiny radiant spot in this unfair world where many things are happening... Her rosy cheeks, she's adorable."

Moo Deng's fame exploded shortly after her birth, as her caretakers at Khao Kheow Open Zoo started uploading videos of her exploits online. It wasn't long before she became an internet sensation, reaching such heights that last week she became the subject of a skit on Saturday Night Live.

Most of Moo Deng's global admirers content themselves with keeping a distant eye on her, but once Swindall became smitten, she started searching for flights to Thailand.

Swindall, a New York resident, knew she had to meet Moo Deng in person.

"I love animals and I love spontaneity, so I decided to make a trip," explains Swindall. "My father passed away unexpectedly six years ago, and after that I was determined to live life to the fullest and always embrace spontaneity. That's why I decided to make the journey."

Setting off on a journey

When Swindall made up her mind to fly to Thailand to see Moo Deng, she knew she had to act fast.

"I wanted to see her while she still had that youthful energy and playfulness," points out Swindell, mentioning how quickly Moo Deng had grown since the initial viral clips.

Swindell could only manage a few days off work, and she had tickets for a weekend gig, so she booked a brief 30-hour stay in Thailand, departing from New York via London on Tuesday, and returning via a layover in Amsterdam on Friday.

"It was quite short, but worth every second," says Swindall, who undertook her journey alone.

The entire trip amounted to around $1,000 to $1,100.

"I have a lot of travel rewards points from past jobs, so I was able to save money, and I also managed to secure some travel discounts," explains Swindall.

Due to the brevity of her trip, Swindall decided to make it a Moo Deng-focused adventure. She had plans to explore more of Thailand, but promised herself that she would return for a proper trip later.

This time, her mission was clear: visit Khao Kheow Open Zoo.

"The queen and icon"

Swindall documented her travels to Thailand on TikTok.

Moo Deng, depicted in this image being doused by a zookeeper at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, has gained widespread popularity online.

Her account, @1989vinyl, usually features content about Taylor Swift (The Washington Post named her "Taylor Swift's greatest fan" in 2023).

Making the transition from the world's biggest pop star to the world's most famous baby hippo was effortless for Swindall, especially as she saw a strong resemblance between the two.

"They're both absolute icons," says Swindall. "I believe queens and icons recognize and appreciate each other."

Swindall's first TikTok post from her trip, in which she invites her followers to "join me on a 18.5-hour flight to Thailand to see Moo Deng," has been viewed over 1.9 million times and counting.

Many viewers were supportive of Swindall's endeavor, while some were left puzzled, assuming that Moo Deng was a rock star or a romantic interest.

Swindall arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday and hired a driver to take her to the zoo. Driving there, Swindall was anxious – what if she failed to meet Moo Deng? What if the visit didn't pan out as expected?

But as soon as she arrived at Moo Deng's enclosure, her apprehensions vanished. There, in person, was Moo Deng – the queen and icon she had dreamt of.

"Oh my goodness, she's so cute," exclaims Swindall, capturing the moment on her TikTok.

Over the next few hours, Swindall enjoyed watching Moo Deng as she played in the rain and ran around excitedly after feeding.

"She's so lovable and energetic, it's impossible not to adore her," says Swindall, who purchased Moo Deng merchandise, including a cap and pajamas, at the zoo.

Swindall also enjoyed watching Moo Deng's mother.

"I've started to develop a new affection for the pygmy hippo species as a whole, as Moo Deng's mother is just as amazing, and I hope she begins to receive more love," says Swindall.

A Swiftie moment

As she watched Moo Deng, Swindall was reminded of the Taylor Swift song "Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?" (As a diehard Swift fan, she never fails to be inspired by the artist.)

"That song perfectly encapsulates Moo Deng," says Swindall. "I think she believes she's more intimidating than she truly is – when she opens her mouth wide and runs around randomly."

Purchased Moo Deng-themed nightwear during their visit to Thailand, Swindall.

Sure thing, here's your paraphrased text:

It was actually another Swifty tune, "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)", that Swindle decided to spin for Moo Dude.

"She was lounging there on the ground, so I guess she enjoyed it," Swindle says. "But honestly, I didn't blast it too loud since I didn't want to disturb her. So I'm not sure if she even heard it, but I did play that one for her anyway. I think it's a killer track, andplus, it sounded like fun to give it a go."

Swindle has shared over 15 TikToks about her Moo Dude excursion already, and she's been blown away by all the positive comments and messages she's been getting from folks all over the world.

"I love spinning stories, I love bringing people along on adventures, and I love cracking jokes," Swindle says. "So it's been super cool to see people having such a great time with it. It's been a real hoot to connect with so many different people over it."

Swindle's follower count has skyrocketed since her Moo Dude jaunt, with one of her Moo Dude TikToks racking up more than 5 million views.

Swindle insists she wasn't on the trip to chase viral fame.

"I didn't give it much thought, to be honest," she says, adding that while she enjoys content creation, it's more about the fun of it than anything else. She works a full-time gig, which is her main bread and butter.

"My first thought was just getting to Thailand. I was head over heels for Moo Dude," Swindle says. "I wanted to share what I was doing online. But even if I'd gotten zero views, it wouldn't have taken away from it because that wasn't why I was there."

Future escapades

As Swindle revisits her Moo Dude trip, she's already plotting her next animal-themed adventure – she's hoping to jet off to Melbourne, Australia to pay a visit to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium and meet another viral animal sensation, Pesto the penguin.

"I'm just plain smitten with animals," Swindle says. "This trip will be more relaxed than my Thailand adventure."

"I'm able to grab a bit more downtime for Pesto," she says. "And there's a bit more strategy going into this trip, too. But it just goes to show you can find joy in spontaneity. I flew to Thailand on a whim to hang with Moo Dude, and it was a total blast."

Swindle tries to keep a sunny outlook on life, and she brought that attitude to her trip.

"What will be, will be," she says. "I was supposed to meet Moo Dude, and it happened, and it was pretty special. And I'm just happy I got to share that joy with everyone."

Swindall expresses that the journey embodies the concept of

Swindall's new travel goal includes visiting Pesto the penguin in Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, demonstrating her passion for meeting famous animal personalities.

Her upcoming trip to Australia is planned with a more relaxed approach compared to her thrilling adventure to meet Moo Deng, reflecting the joy she finds in both planned and spontaneous escapades.