Born and raised in the south, I’ve always appreciated a slower pace of life. I’ve since swapped sipping sweet tea on the porch for champagne on the Boulevard Saint-Germain, bellinis in Santorini—and a “slower pace” that’s tinged with a quintessential European sophistication. My foray into travel design really began with a first-time European trip planned for my toughest clients to date: My own family. Between my always-working husband, can’t-sit-still son, and vegan daughter, I feared that three weeks in Europe would just overwhelm us all.Instead, my family thrived. Europe unfolded before us like a beautiful gift. We toured the Acropolis with a private guide, watched the most stunning sunset from our “secret” perch in Positano, and learned to toss pizza with an Italian family. Our broken Italian wasn’t doing us any favors—but luckily, “pizza” is a universal language!So, what was my secret to a stress-free European journey for ultra-picky “clients”? Of course, it wasn’t a secret at all: seek out the truly authentic, skip what doesn’t work for us, and sprinkle in a generous dose of decadence for a trip that pampers as much as it inspires.