Lauren Medley Gunnels - Travel Advisor

Lauren grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and spent summers in Maine with her family. She remembers from a very early age the excitement of getting onto an airplane for the next trip. At age five, she read the book, “The Emperor’s Plum Tree” which captivated her imagination about distant and exotic lands, and in 7th grade, she finally realized her dream of visiting Japan. These early experiences led to a profound passion for travel, and by the time she graduated from high school, Lauren had visited nine different countries.

Lauren earned a Bachelor of Science in Languages from Georgetown University with a major in French and Asian Studies. While in college, Lauren traveled to Europe several times and lived in Avignon, France while studying at the Institut d’Etudes d’Avignon. After graduating, she ran an internet publishing company, and subsequently worked for an import/export company dealing in fine arts and antiques from around the world and at Bonhams & Butterfields Auction House (formerly Butterfields) in San Francisco before earning her law degree.

While in law school, Lauren lived and worked in Hong Kong, China, and she spent her personal time traveling solo across East and Southeast Asia. This experience taught her the ephemeral and ever changing nature of travel, and it further fueled her wanderlust. After a successful career practicing real estate law and civil and commercial litigation, Lauren decided to follow her life-long passion and shifted careers to the travel industry.  Lauren currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two daughters with whom she travels regularly.

Lauren’s background, language skills and passion for travel extends far beyond the ordinary travel enthusiast. It seems like every aspect of her life has been dialed into discovering the best of every destination, from delving into travel books, guides, and magazines, to grilling friends, family and acquaintances, to personal exploration and avid research and planning. Throughout every stage of her career, Lauren’s focus has been on building relationships, customer care, and a flawless finished product. From the day she shakes hands with a new client, Lauren will listen and learn, and then use her expertise, connections, and every resource available to craft the ideal, customized itinerary.