From a solo trip at 13 to 186 countries: Meet the 20-year-old just 9 countries away from becoming the youngest to visit every country

A 20-year-old American traveller is just nine countries away from becoming the youngest person to visit every country in the world, after travelling to 186 countries and territories over the past two years, CNN reported.

Sophia Lee, from Alaska, is attempting to break the record held by Lexie Alford, who visited the full list of destinations in 2019 at the age of 21 years and 177 days.

Lee took her first solo trip to Costa Rica at 13 in 2019. She needed written permission from her parents to fly alone, and it was also her first time leaving the United States.

Lee said she was not nervous because she grew up in a family of travellers. Her grandparents worked for the US government volunteer programme Peace Corps, and their experiences encouraged her to travel.

The trip also helped Lee overcome some of the social anxiety she had experienced as a child. While travelling through Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, she said having to figure things out for herself helped build her confidence.

After that trip, Lee looked for ways to keep travelling. She trained as a yoga instructor and visited countries including Egypt and Ecuador, sometimes teaching yoga or helping with social media accounts in exchange for room and board.

Because she was homeschooled, she had more flexibility to travel while completing her schoolwork. She graduated from high school early at 16.

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Taking on the world record

Lee first considered challenging Lexie Alford’s record after learning about it, but initially “didn’t really think it was possible”. She continued travelling and volunteering with wildlife sanctuaries and schools before deciding to attempt the record.

She contacted Guinness World Records and began the formal process. The challenge required her to travel on public transportation, carry a tracking device, submit GPS files and revisit the roughly 50 countries she had already visited.

Lee began the attempt in 2023 at 17, but a “family situation” forced her to pause. She resumed in 2024 and has travelled continuously since.

She began on an “extreme budget” of $100 per country and often took overnight buses to avoid accommodation costs. Sponsorships and brand partnerships later helped reduce the financial pressure.

186 countries and counting

Lee has travelled to countries including Iran, Vietnam, Libya and Albania. She defines a visit as meaningfully experiencing a country, whether through speaking with locals, trying local food or visiting cultural sites.

“Ideally, honestly, I think that at least a week in the country is a fair amount of time to count it as a visit,” she said.

Some journeys have been difficult. In Somalia, she needed a security escort at all times, while US citizens visiting Turkmenistan are required to book a guided tour. During a visit to Congo in April, Lee became very ill and considered returning home.

She is currently waiting for visa approval for some of her final destinations, including Sudan. If everything goes to plan, Venezuela will be the final country on her list.

India is her favourite

Of the nearly 200 countries she has visited, Lee has one clear favourite: India. She has returned five times since her first visit in 2022.

She praised the country's natural, cultural and religious diversity and its hospitality.

“You can go from the Himalayas to the ocean, to some of the busiest cities, and then some of the most remote and isolated places,” she said.

Lee also remembers Uganda as one of her most special trips. In February 2025, her grandfather flew out to join her, and they visited Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to roughly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.

“I think that was one of the most magical experiences, especially getting to go with him,” she said.

Life without a permanent home

Lee has spent years living out of a suitcase and admits that the lifestyle has come with sacrifices. She has spent little time with people her own age and said most of her traveller friends are between 30 and 80 years old.

She also went three years without seeing some of her family and has not seen her parents for a year. Her sister occasionally flies out to meet her in more accessible destinations.

Lee has also acknowledged that constantly moving has left her without a strong sense of home or community. She sometimes thinks about the childhood and teenage experiences she missed.

As the journey nears its end, she is looking forward to taking a break after health issues and eventually finding a place she can call home.

“Living out of a suitcase for seven years has been fun,” she said. “But I’m looking forward to having more of a stable setting and being able to make friends and kind of build my own life in one location.”