Barton Brooks is planning a surprise European getaway for his mom, and he would love some suggestions!

Loving Son Takes Mom on European Adventure to Heal Her Broken Heart — and He Wants You to Be a Part of It!

Barton Brooks is taking his mother Carla on the ultimate European adventure — and he wants you to be a part of it!

A devoted wife, Carla spent a lot of her life taking care of her husband, Karl, who suffered a stroke 20 years ago. And when he died last year, Carla felt lost. “My mother’s entire life has been about other people…but especially since my dad’s stroke,” Barton tells PEOPLE. “She was stuck as a caregiver who had lost her meaning, because her meaning was my dad.”

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Hoping to heal his mom’s broken heart, Barton and his partner, Gregg Goodbrod, came up with a secret plan to take Carla on 20 European outings (think Parisian cooking classes and Venetian glassblowing demonstrations!) – one for each year of her life that she spent taking care of Karl. The couple surprised Carla with the exciting news at the PEOPLE offices in New York City – and her reaction was priceless.

“Bart!” she said with happy tears in her eyes, a smile on her face. “Oh my gosh!

“She uses adventure, often, to heal herself from things that are difficult,” says Barton of his mother, who backpacked across Europe after her first fiancé before Karl was unfaithful. “She traveled around Europe and explored and healed her broken heart through that.”

Barton, Gregg and Carla will spend the next few months traveling to cities like Paris, Rome and Barcelona seeking out authentic restaurants, experiences and sights while blogging on their site TheLittleGirlFromKamas.com. And they’d love some guidance on local musts!