The goal is now within reach: Only nine countries separate Sophia Lee from completing the journey to which she has dedicated the past seven years. If everything goes according to plan and Guinness World Records approves her attempt, she will become the youngest person ever to visit every country in the world.
Lee documents her extraordinary journey on Instagram, where she has already amassed more than 135,000 followers. In an interview with CNN, she said it all began in 2019, when her parents signed a special authorization allowing her to fly alone to Costa Rica, the first time she had left the United States without adult supervision. She said the trip strengthened her self-confidence. On the way back, she was even detained for additional checks after local security officials struggled to understand how such a young girl was traveling alone.
After that trip, it was clear to her that this was what she wanted to do with her life. She became certified as a yoga instructor, combined odd jobs and volunteering to fund her travels, and after finishing high school at 16, decided to give up film studies and keep wandering.
During her travels, Lee came across the Guinness World Record currently held by American traveler Lexie Alford, who became the youngest person to visit every country in the world at 21 years and 177 days old. At first, the idea seemed unrealistic, but later Lee decided to try it herself.
She officially registered for the challenge, and in order for the attempt to be recognized, she had to meet strict rules, including continuous GPS documentation of her route and revisiting about 50 countries she had already traveled to before beginning the official record attempt. After a break forced by family circumstances, she set out again in 2024 and has been traveling continuously ever since.
At the start of the record attempt, Lee lived on a budget of only about $100 per country. Later, as exposure to her journey grew, she began receiving sponsorships and commercial partnerships that helped fund the rest of the trip. Over the past two years, she has visited 186 countries and territories, including especially complex destinations such as Iran, Libya, Vietnam and Albania.
For Lee, visiting a country is not just about crossing a border. In order to “count” a country, she makes sure to experience something of the local culture, whether through meeting residents, tasting local food or visiting major cultural sites.
Not every stop on the journey was simple. In Somalia, which is under a severe travel warning from the U.S. State Department, she had to move around with close security escort. In Turkmenistan, she was required to join an organized tour. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, she became so seriously ill that she considered stopping the journey and returning home.
One of the most memorable moments, however, was her visit to Uganda, where her grandfather joined her and the two watched mountain gorillas together in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Alongside the extraordinary experiences, the wandering has also exacted a personal price. Lee has not seen her parents for more than a year, and some relatives she has not seen for nearly three years. She says she has almost no friends her own age because she spent most of her adolescence on the road, surrounded by travelers much older than her.
Of all the countries she has visited, India is her favorite, and she has already returned there five times. If everything goes according to plan, Venezuela will be the final stop on her journey next month, in August. However, it is still unclear how the series of earthquakes that struck the country in late June will affect her plans to get there.
Even if she breaks the record, Lee is keeping it in perspective. “I think that’s the beauty of records — other people can try to break them,” she told CNN.
After seven years of living out of a suitcase, she says she is now looking forward to one simple thing: finding a permanent place where she can build herself a home and begin a new chapter in her life.