Traveler EIC Pilar Guzman on Never Checking and Dream Vacays

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• Pilar Guzman. Photo courtesy Matt Hranek.
• What's your approach to packing?
  "I never, ever check. Even when I travel with my kids, they stuff their backpacks with clothes. The reality is, depending on where you're going and what's going on, you really don't need that much.<
• Have you ever completely mispacked?
  "The fun thing about certain kinds of travel, especially if you're going to some warm, sexy place is the element of fantasy. And you can get swept up in the fantasy of who you want to be on that tri
• Have you learned any great travel tips on the job? I just spoke with someone recently who was asking, why would anyone buy a black rolly these days? And lightweight bags are so important."
  [Image courtesy Condé Nast Traveler]
• Have you ever traveled anywhere that you felt was slightly dangerous? How did you prepare?
  "I was in Vietnam so many years ago, right after the doors opened to Westerners. It was doable enough to get a visa and all of that. I wanted t
• Are there any spots on your bucket list that you'd really love to hit? What are some lesser-known places you'd advise people to try?
  "There are a lot, the list is super long. I haven't been to Basque Country in Spain; supposedly it's

Pilar Guzman has only been at Condé Nast Traveler for a few months (her first official issue will be March 2014), but she brought to the position a lifetime love of travel; her first job was as a travel writer for Berkeley Guides, which is "like a young person's Fodor's." Racked spoke to Guzman from her perch at 4 Times Square to discuss new travel hotspots, how she manages to never check a bag and about feeling unsafe while traveling.

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