Camila Zilveti checked off a major life goal—visiting 100 countries before turning 30—and as both a pro pickleball player and passionate traveler, she’s picked up plenty of lessons along the way.

“I’m basically backpacking everywhere I go. I pack light, so I only ever have a carry-on. If I go for two months or if I go for a week, I'm only bringing a carry-on because you can wash things anywhere in the world. You don't need to pack for a whole two months even if you’re going for that long,” she said. 

“When I travel internationally, that’s when I feel more stressed when I’m packing because I need to remember random stuff like toothpaste or converters for electrical sockets—just the things that you're not even aware of. In some places I’ve been, you can’t drink the water, so you have to remember to pack a filter or a tablet or pill to take so you don’t get malaria. If you’re stuck somewhere that’s like that, everyone there is immune so they don’t have those tablets.”

Zilveti emphasized doing your research to be prepared for each destination, but she also encouraged connecting with locals to experience a place more authentically.

“There’s so many guides online now that tell you where to go and what to do there. But honestly, a lot of them go viral because they’re gimmicky or tourist traps. Honestly, I like to think of it as every day you figure out what you're going to do. Have your big plans. For example, book your flights to Mongolia for two weeks as a rough plan, but then spend the days there and see what you find. Talk to the locals and see what they recommend for you to do or where you should eat,” said Zilveti.

“If you want to, pick two or three things that you know you don’t want to miss. Like if you really want to visit this museum or visit this famous location. But what makes it fun for me is finding things as you go. It’s more about the exploration, rather than following someone else’s path.”

“I’m a fast packer for pickleball tournaments because by now, I know the exact items I need,” said Zilveti. “I actually don't even take them out of the bag. When I get home, I wash everything, then just repack it in the suitcase.” 

But despite having to travel for work, she makes time to travel for fun. 

“The first year while I was on tour, I went to 14 different countries and I played in 16 tournaments that year. So that was really exhausting. Last year, I did a little less. We only did eight countries. It might still seem like a lot, but only two of them were new countries,” concluded Zilveti. “But it’s so much fun. My parents were kind of like the OG backpackers, and my husband likes to travel as much as I do, so it’s just been really fun to explore and check all these countries off my list.”

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