Meet Our Travel Designer: Gretchen Pattillo
I am an accidental travel designer.
When my friend Jennifer started her own travel agency five years ago, I decided she couldn’t have all the fun. Travel for a “job”? Count me in!
My love of international travel began with a bang 27 years ago, when I traveled with my mother-in-law to Israel for three weeks. Having never traveled internationally before, I was thrown straight into the deep end of the pool. I tried new foods, heard the call to prayer echo through the Old City of Jerusalem, discovered traditional hummus, and eventually became numb to the phrase, “Jesus stood on these very steps.”
We floated in the Dead Sea, wandered busy markets, haggled over souvenirs, and experienced the incredible hospitality of the people we met along the way. More importantly, that trip taught me something that has stayed with me ever since: even when cultures and traditions seem worlds apart, there is always something to learn from one another when we take the time to listen, experience, and appreciate the way others live.
When our three children were young, I was a very hands-on mom and rarely ventured too far from my little ones. Our travels were mostly road trips to nearby cities, family beach vacations, and the occasional multi-state adventure to visit family. And honestly? Any hotel with a pool was a winner in my kids’ book!
But as my children grew older and more independent, our travels began to change. My husband and I discovered a growing love for Europe, and over the past several years, we’ve had the incredible privilege of sharing those adventures with good friends. In fact, we keep adding more friends to the group—and it has been an absolute blast!
From river cruising along the picturesque Danube and Rhine Rivers, to train-hopping from Prague to Český Krumlov to Vienna, to taking the gondola to the summit of Mount Pilatus in Switzerland, we have fallen in love with experiencing the world.
We love learning about different cultures and traditions, sampling local cuisine, navigating local transportation, wandering neighborhoods, and, of course, finding every great café along the way. There is something wonderfully simple about sitting down with a cappuccino and watching life unfold in a brand-new city.
And that is really where my passion for travel design comes from.
I also work as a Realtor, and I absolutely love helping people find their dream home. But I’ve discovered that I love helping people plan their dream trips just as much.
When I design a trip for a client, I approach it as if I were planning my own vacation. I’m researching the hotel with the spectacular breakfast. I’m checking for that prime location near a train station. I’m looking for walkability to the charming Old Town. I’m figuring out how much to tip your guide in the local currency, how long it will take to get from the airport to your next destination, and all those tiny details that can make the difference between a good trip and an unforgettable one.
Because those details matter.
I understand what a privilege it is to travel, and I never take that for granted. That’s why I care deeply about getting things right and looking out for my clients’ best interests every step of the way. My goal is for you to spend less time worrying about logistics and more time anticipating the adventure ahead.
You dream about where you want to go. I’ll design a journey worth dreaming about.
The world is waiting. Where will you go next?
