Sophie Lee's Quest to Become Youngest to Visit Every Country

At 13, when her friends were obsessing about boyfriends and starting high school, Sophie Lee knew she wanted to set a world record. So she boarded a plane to Costa Rica, alone. That solo journey changed everything for her. The next year, she decided to become the youngest person to visit every country. This goal was perfect because it had everything she liked: travel and a challenge. She continued travelling, and by the age of 17, she had been to 50 of the United Nations’ 195 recognised countries. But that’s when she learned that, in order to win that title, she needed more. “I realised that it requires a lot of evidence and pre-planning and preparation for Guinness [World Records] to even have you qualify for a record. So at that point, I had to go back and revisit a lot of the countries and collect all the proper evidence,” she told People.

To win that title, she had to revisit places she’d already been, gathering stamps and evidence, treating tourism like an audit. But she enjoyed it because travelling was her true passion. For the past four years, she’s been travelling full-time and working through her list. By mid-July this year, she had only six countries left to win the title. “I’m hoping to wrap it up this month, at the end of the month or early next month at the latest,” the 21-year-old said. Lee also spoke about how she pushed some of the more difficult countries to visit towards the end. “Because the visas are more expensive and also they’re a bit more dangerous,” she explained. Some of the last destinations on her list include Mali, Chad and Venezuela, as these places demand more than just plane fare and passport space. Visa costs are rising, and some places are in the midst of natural disasters. Lee also wants her ‘visits’ to be a ‘meaningful experience’, rather than just a stamp on her passport.

“Trying local cuisine, speaking with a local person or seeing a local landmark or something significant to that country… like a site of natural beauty or a site of historical importance — something along those lines is usually what I try to see,” she said.

Sophie Lee is a wanderer at heart. Ever since she can remember, she has wanted to explore the world. Meeting new people, trying new cuisines and, most importantly, understanding how people live in different parts of the world gives her immense joy. “What started with my first-ever solo international trip at age 13 became seven years of full-time travel and 185 countries (150+ countries visited solo). But this was never only about setting a record,” Lee wrote on Instagram earlier. She documents her travels and experiences and posts them on social media. Lee hopes to inspire young people “to step outside their comfort zone and show that the world is filled with far more connection and kindness than we think”.

Of all the places she has been to, Lee was truly mesmerised by some unique destinations — not the beaches of tourist brochures, but Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. While travel has certainly given her a lot, there are also downsides to being a full-time traveller. “There are definitely a lot of things I’ve missed out on. Like, I’ve never had a typical school experience. That’s a hard part to deal with when you’re travelling for many years. ” On the other hand, she has also made some meaningful connections across the globe. “I have friends in India and friends in Ghana and all over the world. Being able to have that kind of global network of people, and being able to speak with people from all over the world in all different countries, is really incredible,” she said. Lee has one message for those who are hoping to see the world: pack your bags right now. “Honestly, I’d say the world is a lot less scary than it seems in the media. I think the more you start to travel, the more you see that there are so many genuinely kind and welcoming people in every country and from every culture in every place,” she told the magazine