Meet the woman who traveled to every country in the world. Here’s what she learned as she navigated all 196 nations by boat, plane, and train.

• Lexie Alford, 23, recently made history as the youngest person to travel to every country.
• Alford used a combination of boats, trains, and planes to obtain the world record.
• She particularly enjoyed train trips, which allowed her to watch stunning landscapes whizz by.
• See more stories on Insider's business page.

Lexie Alford from Nevada City, California, recently broke the Guinness World record to become the youngest person to travel to every country in the world.

At the age of 23, she visited 196 countries in an effort to challenge herself and push the limits of what she believed was possible for a female solo traveler.

Lexie primarily used planes, boats, and trains to get around. She highlighted the latter mode of transport as her favorite, "since you can stare out the window at the ever-changing landscapes," she told Insider.

Commuting on trains is almost a form of "slow travel," Alford said. "You can watch entire countries go flying past."

Alford said it took her three years to travel to every country and break the world record. She started traveling when she was very young because her mother owned a travel agency in California.

"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 said.

It was not all plain sailing, however, and there were many obstacles Alford encountered, including arranging visas to enter some countries. It took months to obtain them for Venezuela, Pakistan, and others, she said.

But the challenges were outweighed by the memorable experiences Alford enjoyed on her solo adventures. "There's so many incredible experiences that can come out of traveling alone because you are more open to the hospitality and interactions with locals than you would be when you are in a big group of people," she said.

"For the most well-preserved history in the world, I love Egypt. For the kindness of locals, I had an amazing experience in Northern Pakistan," she said.

She added: "The most unique island in the world, in my opinion, is Iceland: the land of fire and ice. For the most incredible natural beauty, I loved visiting Angel Falls in Venezuela."

When it comes to other modes of transportation Alford used on her journey, she said traveling on planes has been both a good and bad experience.

"I've traveled with an extremely wide variety of airlines around the world and for the most part, they all had terrible food!" she said.

Alford said she typically traveled on airlines like Delta and KLM. "I've absolutely loved the quality of these airlines and I always look forward to flying with them," she said. In particular, the overall quality of the seats and cleanliness was superior, she added.

Alford had the pleasure of meeting a variety of people and encountering different cultures on her trip. But the most valuable experience of all was discovering a new sense of independence, she said.

There are also several life lessons she's learned. "When it comes to traveling alone, especially as a woman, it's extremely important to use common sense," she said.

When traveling to countries that are perceived as dangerous or unstable, Alford said she learned to remember that things can change at any time and that's something you have to accept going into these kinds of experiences. "The only thing you can control is your mindset," she said.

For Alford, nothing beats traveling, which she described as her favorite part of being alive. "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 added.