Youngest Person to Travel to Every Country

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My name is Lexie Alford and if all goes according to plan, I will break the Guinness World Record for the Youngest Person to Travel to Every Country. I’m 19 years old and I have traveled to 96 countries. I will make it to 17 more countries by March. I aim to travel to all 196 countries before I’m old enough to drink in the United States. I intend to inspire others to choose the path less traveled by breaking down common misconceptions about millennials, women and foreign cultures.

Showing people that the world is not a scary place, every culture is accessible and kindness is present everywhere in spite of political and societal instabilities is my ultimate goal. This is my opportunity to become a part of history by personally demonstrating the interconnectedness of the world and to leave behind a positive legacy encouraging women everywhere to pursue their ambitions.

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Traveling vast distances quickly and efficiently is a relatively new ability, for hundreds of years people never knew how much was really out there; until now. The world is becoming a smaller place and I feel overwhelming gratitude to experience the world in a way no one has before. The more I travel the more I feel at home anywhere in the world and if the whole world is your home then everyone that lives here is our family. It has become my mission to share this journey with you.

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I’m often asked, “Aren’t you afraid of being kidnapped or killed? What if something bad happens to you?” My answer is that I’ve come to a place of acceptance that it is very possible that I could die attempting this record. This is a risk I’m willing to take because if I die, I would die doing something that fills my life with passion. It’s better to live a short life chasing your dream than a long life filled with missed opportunities and regrets.

I attribute every aspect of the person I am today to the way I was raised. My father set no limits to what I could become and my parents chose not to shelter me from the world around us. They didn't cover my eyes when I saw a family of four sharing one motorbike lying in a pool of blood after a collision in Vietnam. I grew up learning very real life lessons; the importance of wearing helmets is permanently engrained in my soul. Memories of the past make us who we are. I will never forget what it felt like to crawl into the Great Pyramid of Giza or the rush of diving into a shark cage surrounded by 16 ft. long, hungry great white sharks.

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Everything in life happens for a reason. If it wasn’t for toxic relationships and depression, I may not have had the motivation to change my situation and graduate high school at 16. If it wasn’t for my experiences with orphans in Asian slums I may not have appreciation for the simply things in life most people take for granted. A lifetime of traveling the world has taught me many lessons but above all, I have learned to be grateful. To genuinely understand that this life, this very moment, is a gift because you never know which moment will be your last.

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My intention is to use my experiences to make the world a better place in every way I can and I feel honored to have this opportunity to share my story with you. Supporting my mission not only empowers my journey around the world but also supports a new generation of women everywhere to pursue their passions not regardless of the obstacles we face but because of them. To find out more about this world record breaking mission check out living-lost.com or Instagram @lost_lexie and ask yourself, "how can you change the world if you have never been there?

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Hi @lexiealford, welcome to Steemit! You're on an amazing quest!

@kevinwong Thank you, I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to pursue my dreams

Hello, @LexieAlford, and Welcome to Steemit.

I'm impressed by this tremendous challenge you are undertaking. But I'd agree with you that travelling alone is the best way to travel. It's great in that it takes you completely out of your circle of friends and family, and, by necessity, brings you into direct contact with the people of the world.

Hope all your travels are both safe and full of adventure.

Full Steem Ahead, on this platform and in your travels!

Welcome to steemit!

@cqf Thanks!

This is beautiful. When i read the title I did not think once about the question of aren't you afraid you'll die, instead i admire you for living. I see the spirit you carry with you. Have you been to New Zealand yet?

@kaykunoichi I really appreciate your kind words. My spirit has gotten me this far and I have no intention of stifling its potential. I went to New Zealand when I was just 5 years old. I have the most amazing memory of seeing my dad bungee jump there for the first time!

^_^ incredible!

Wow, this is an amazing story! My wife, three kids, and I plan to travel much more in the years to come and hearing stories like this is so inspiring.

@lukestokes Thank you! The best piece of advice I am qualified to give to a parent is to show your kids as much as you possibly can. Pull them out of school for a week or two every once in a while. I promise they will learn so much more than they ever could out of a text book

Agreed. :) We school at home so they do get a lot of different perspectives on education, but yes, we plan to travel a lot. Unfortunately we'd be in Peurto Rico right now if it weren't for the hurricane that went through there.

Question: how do you fund your travels?

Hi @lukestokes, I do understand that the question is for Lexie, so apologies for butting in. I often had a similar question; how do I fund my travels and slowly and steadily I read up on a lot of travel blogs and the manner in which they travelled and saved money. This blog below is where I got a lot of tips on how to finance my travel plans and I hope it helps you too: https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blog/ - there are a few others like him too, so if you google for it, you would get a truckload of information on how to fund the travels.

Thanks for sharing! I have three kids and a wife to consider, so it's a bit tricky for us. I'll check it out though.

@lexiealford,

This gem of a post was discovered by the @OCD Curators!

Please Reply to this comment if you accept, and are willing to let us share your gem of a post! By accepting this, you have a chance to receive extra rewards and one of your photos in this article may be used on our compilation post!

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That is an amazing achievement! Incredible that you have been to so many places!

Please reply and I will nominate your introduction to the @OCD Curators for possible extra views and rewards to your blog post! Good luck in your Steem experience, and Welcome!

@ma1neevent Thank you so much for that offer, of course I accept! I really appreciate your nomination, please feel free to share.

It should be fun exploring the world at a young age. Me too wanted to do it. I’m 22 now and will be 23 at next February. Great to you,

@justinansako Exploring while you are young is such an amazing experience. Some people wait until they are older and the longer you wait the more obligations you will have and you can become less physically capable. Get out there!

Great girl!! Go on! Welcome to steemit :)

Hi Lexie!

Any plans to visit Antarctica, or have you already been there?

We love original content! Looking forward to your travel stories. =)

A couple of Steemit tips, ignore the automated bots, they do nothing for you and just earn from your votes.

7 reasons that low/no payout is not the reason to quit on Steemit
https://steemit.com/steemit/@hiroyamagishi/7-reasons-that-low-payout-is-not-the-reason-to-give-up-on-steemit

For many new people, the voting and points system seems complicated at first. Here is an excellent post and entertaining video about how it all works.
https://steemit.com/steemit/@sethlinson/announcing-steemit-explained-a-new-animated-series

You also earn rewards for resharing (resteem) and commenting. How cool is that? So it pays for us all to get involved with other people and their content.

Welcome aboard and full Steem ahead! =)

Leo.

@leoplaw I would jump at any opportunity to visit Antarctica, it's very high on my bucket list and its the only continent I haven't stepped foot on. I can't wait to share more stories with you. Thank you for the advice!

Maybe you should connect with @dandoval, he's travelled there and did a whole series of posts about it.
Penguin Highway Antarctica
https://steemit.com/photography/@dandoval/penguin-highway-antarctica

How can you change the world if you have never been there?

Great sentiment! I do hope that more people abide by the same principle.

A few questions though:
1. How are you able to fund your travels?
2. Do you travel alone for most of your journey?

EDIT: I have read the About section of your site immediately after I posted this comment.

I wish you the best of luck in completing your quest! To hold that distinction would certainly be an honor. I could only wish that I could travel even a fraction of where you have been. Best of luck and always stay safe! :D

@jedau I'm glad you checked out the site! I'm slowing addressing every question I'm asked, feel free to reach out for more info! I'll be writing more about how to budget travel in the future.
I appreciate the luck, I'll sure need it. Remember you can do anything you set your mind to!

Oh!! Looking forward to reading that! With the budget I have, frugal traveling would be the way to quench my thirst to explore haha!