Meet this old lady who sold home to visit 167 countries!

Lynn Stephenson, a 62-year-old former English teacher from Nottinghamshire, the UK, has turned her lifelong dream into reality by selling her house and travelling the world, clocking up 167 countries in just over three years, report multiple British media outlets.

Lynn Stephenson in Morocco Photo: Lynn Stephenson

Lynn Stephenson sold her home in 2022 for £175,000, banking £136,000 after clearing the mortgage. She has since used the proceeds to fund a solo, suitcase-only journey that has taken her across six continents, from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan, Nepal to Kiribati. Her latest destination, the Pacific Island nation of Nauru, marked her 167th country visited. With fewer than 30 nations left on her list, she hopes to reach every country by the end of next year—provided North Korea opens its borders and her funds hold out.

Stephenson in Bhutan Photo: Lynn Stephenson

Stephenson’s travels began in earnest after the Covid-19 lockdowns, which she said convinced her to stop waiting. “I never believed you could lock the world down, but that happened and it scared me, so I decided to take the chance while I could,” she told Creatorzine. Her first round-the-world trip in 1992 had already sparked a lifelong passion, but it was the pandemic that pushed her to commit fully. While her itinerary includes many popular destinations, Stephenson has made a point of visiting countries often considered risky—including Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Contrary to media portrayals, she said she felt remarkably safe in Iran. 

Stephenson with local women in Iran Photo: Lynn Stephenson

“Old ladies hugged me in the street, one even tickled me under the chin like I was three years old,” she recalled. 

She was also struck by Iranian men who apologised for the mandatory headscarf rule, insisting it should be a woman’s choice.
In Afghanistan, she was escorted by armed Taliban guards to ancient sites, one of whom she affectionately nicknamed the ‘Taliban teddy bear’ for his constant warm smile.

“I never felt unsafe walking around in Afghanistan,” she said, adding that the real danger came not from conflict zones but from a steep riverbank in the Cook Islands, where she nearly died after slipping during a hike.

Stephenson in the Easter Island is a remote volcanic island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean Photo: Lynn Stephenson

Lynn Stephenson documents her journey via a blog and Instagram, inspiring thousands who are drawn to her unfiltered, fearless approach. “Travelling restores your faith in people,” she said. “The world is full of predominantly kind, hospitable people.”

Now based out of a single suitcase and with friends scattered worldwide, she no longer considers England her home. “I don’t really think of England as my home anymore,” she admitted. Asked about loneliness, she dismissed the notion: “There’s a difference between being alone and being lonely.”

With 16 countries still to go, Lynn Stephenson’s extraordinary adventure is far from over and her next chapter may depend on the unlikeliest of destinations opening its doors.