76-year-old backpacker traveled alone to 40 countries

Mr. Hyo So is a Korean American, 76 years old.

A few months later, Hyo So booked a motel room in Cairo and began journeys that were unbelievable for his age.

76 year old backpacker with endless passion for exploration.

‘Blood’ has been adventurous since childhood

At the age of 14, he left his hometown of Gwangyang, Korea, boarded a boat and drifted from place to place, doing all kinds of strange jobs during the 4 months he left home.

But after immigrating to the US in 1970 with his wife and three children, cross-country travel became a luxury.

By 1990, Hyo So found a stable job at a Los Angeles law office.

Hyo So during her daily walk in Los Angeles.

His fellow immigrants retired one after another several decades ago after working hard.

As for Hyo So, he doesn’t want the rest of his life to live in regret for things he hasn’t done.

Adventure in old age

Hyo So has visited 40 countries, crossed the Gobi desert, talked with ethnic Maasai tribesmen in Kenya, and was a charming backpacker in Kingston while singing goodbye to Jamaica.

“Life is about experiences – not just good, positive things,” he said.

Now he is so skilled, with only a worn white baseball cap to protect himself from the sun, a fishing jacket with many pockets, and worn sneakers, he travels to all kinds of strange lands.

From worrying about regrets at the end of her life, Hyo So did not hesitate to go to Egypt to start the adventure journey she had long desired.

When she began her adventures, Hyo So was 60 years old.

Feeling unsafe, So flew back to Los Angeles after two nights in Egypt.

Views from people around

A few young backpackers, over 30 years old, were surprised by their companion’s old glasses and white beard.

His colleagues were very surprised and his three children were also very worried about him. They often tried to stop him from making further trips.

She once convinced him to join a tour in Western Europe.

`When he wants to come, he comes, when he wants to go, he goes,` Hyo So’s wife shared.

Assets after trips

While today’s travelers spend their time taking photos, writing travel blogs and generally showing off more than they actually experience, So is different.

He did not take photos, instead, unforgettable memories such as the image of an angel in the Havana mausoleum made him reflect on his passing later.

After all, So always remembers the people he met along the way.

The elderly woman sitting next to him on a bus in Nairobi helped him carefully tie a knot in his grocery bag, signaling that he needed to keep an eye on it.

So felt sympathy, kindness and close relationships throughout the trips.

See more: 6 backpackers who changed the world