Lexie Alford, a resident of Nevada City, California, set a new Guinness World Record as the youngest individual to visit every country in the world.
She travelled to all 195 nations before turning 23, pushing herself and challenging the limits of what she believed was possible for a woman travelling alone.
According to Lexie, who spoke with Unilad, she travelled through a war-torn area. For the traveller, the encounter was truly eye-opening.
When visiting nations viewed as dangerous or unstable, Alford said she learnt to remember that things can change at any time, and you have to accept that when you walk into these kinds of situations. “The only thing you can control is your mindset,” When it comes to travelling alone, especially as a woman, it’s essential to use common sense,” she added.
Alford said that breaking the world record and visiting every nation took three years. Her mother had a travel business in California, so she began taking trips at a very young age.
“I grew up joining my mom on her work trips around the world – in more than 70 countries – and after saving up for more than six years and graduating from college at 18, I decided to embark on my own adventures,” she explained.
Read also: Meet Luisa Yu, 79, who has travelled to all 193 countries in the world
However, it was not all smooth sailing, as Alford faced other challenges, such as obtaining visas to enter certain nations. Getting them for Pakistan, Venezuela, and other countries takes months.
Regarding the different means of transportation she employed during her trip, Lexie’s main modes of transportation were trains, boats, and aeroplanes. “Because you can stare out the window at the ever-changing landscapes,” she told Insider, highlighting the latter as her favourite form of transportation.
“I’ve travelled with an extremely wide variety of airlines around the world and for the most part, they all had terrible food!” she replied.
According to Alford, she usually takes flights with companies like KLM and Delta. “I’ve absolutely loved the quality of these airlines and I always look forward to flying with them,” she added. She commented that the cleanliness and overall condition of the seats were particularly good.
During her journey, Alford enjoyed meeting a wide range of people and experiencing other cultures. She claimed that finding a new sense of independence was the most worthwhile experience of all.
Alford said that her favourite aspect of life is travelling, and nothing compares to that. “But I would be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying taking time over the past year to recover from all the wear and tear I’ve done to my body over the past few years,” she continued.
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