Our Whole Village
Why
Better Trips
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better families
Sweet roll pastry toffee powder lollipop jelly biscuit tart chupa chups. Cotton candy bear claw cake chocolate bar caramels. Brownie dessert chupa chups gummi bears pudding tiramisu. Carrot cake sesame snaps pie bonbon pastry.
Better World
Sweet roll pastry toffee powder lollipop jelly biscuit tart chupa chups. Cotton candy bear claw cake chocolate bar caramels. Brownie dessert chupa chups gummi bears pudding tiramisu. Carrot cake sesame snaps pie bonbon pastry.
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the Our Whole Village Team
Our team comes from incredible and diverse backgrounds, but we all share one thing in common: our passion for designing meaningful family vacations.
Our mission is to help families travel the world in a more conscious manner so they can connect with the world, its people and cultures while creating long lasting memories.
WORK WITH PATTY
I was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and lived in Hamburg, Bologna, Washington D.C. and Madrid before moving to the Detroit area where I live with my two daughters, Sofia (12) and Julia (10) and “baby” boy Miles (2).
My travel entrepreneur journey started when I held my oldest daughter for the first time. She inspired me to leave a legal career behind and create a life with more purpose. I founded Our Whole Village to help families travel better, raising good global citizens while promoting family travel as a force for good.
When planning travel for my clients, I enjoy getting to know the whole family and each individual's special interests, so I can add unique tours and activities that will make each vacation special and more meaningful.
My favorite destinations include the Amazon for off-the-beaten path adventure, Patagonia for spectacular hiking, Spain and Italy for family-friendly and foodie experiences.
mom, traveler and adventurer
PATTY MONAHAN
Our Founder
Beau Benner
WISCONSIN, USA
EMILY BEAVERS
MICHIGAN, USA
OurTravel Advisors
WORK WITH EMILY
WORK WITH Beau
(psst... click a name to learn more about each team member!)
WORK WITH PATTY
My path started in Kentucky, lead to Tennessee and then took a surprising detour to Shanghai for ten years, before landing my family in the Detroit area. Along the way I became a wife, a teacher, a mom to my now 2 and 7 year-old explorers, an entrepreneur and an extreme travel enthusiast.
My love for travel has evolved from hostel-hopping backpacking to luxurious couples retreats, to immersive, family-friendly adventures … and now into a career! What remains constant is my unwavering passion for the journey itself: from meticulously planning every detail to savoring the unique cultures, landscapes and people that transform a trip into an extraordinary experience and cherishing those meaningful memories for years to come.
Having lived in Asia for a decade, I’ve explored much of the vibrant East from Beijing to Bali and Tokyo to Sri Lanka. A few other favorites include New Zealand, South Africa, Greece and Ecuador. With two little ones, I understand the unique needs, planning and overwhelming joy that comes with traveling as a family, and am thrilled to help other families embark on their own journeys discovering the wonders of this beautiful world.
EMILY BEAVERS
Client Care Specialist
Hi there, I’m Carolyn! I have been obsessed with the world ever since I was a small child. If the stories are true, I could be found on my first flight running up and down the aisle making friends with strangers, back when my dad worked for Northwest Airlines (300 years ago when that was still an airline). Fast forward a few decades to a college degree that has not been used, a stint living in London, a career in the travel industry that has lasted almost 20 years and visits to nearly 60 countries across all seven continents, it’s safe to say that my passion for the world is still alive and well. To me, travel is more than just a leisure activity. It’s the opportunity to see the world through someone else’s eyes, ears and stomachs and shines a light on really how similar we are, regardless of our cultural differences or our longitude and latitude.
Travel completely changed the way I look at the world and has immersed me in so many lives that I would never have had the opportunity to experience - that small child running up and down the aisle on her first airplane ride would never have imagined meeting the people I’ve been fortunate enough to meet, to visit the places that I’ve been lucky to see and experience the rich cultural traditions of far flung destinations - and it is something I want to introduce to as many people as possible!
When I’m not dreaming of my next passport stamp, you can routinely find me behind a camera, on the hunt for street art, watching terrible action movies, trying to convince people to eat kale, or hanging out with my three pups.
CAROLYN OKON
Training and Development
Client Care Specialist
We practice responsible travel—a more conscious way of traveling that extends beyond just being environmentally friendly.
It fosters meaningful connections and a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues.
Whether through a visit to a school in a remote corner of the Amazon or helping a local family with their organic farming in the hills of Tuscany, our trips are filled with culturally-rich and authentic discoveries.
Our itineraries include something fun and enriching for everyone. And we believe vacation opportunities should be just as varied and creative as the families who take them!
EXPLORE TRAVEL SERVICES
BETTER TRIPS
Our Mission
EXPLORE TRAVEL SERVICES
BETTER FAMILIES
We are committed to nurturing compassion, respect, curiosity, integrity and sense of community in the high-tech, frantic pace of the 21st century.
No matter the destination, we will co-create a one-of-a-kind itinerary that will deepen your family bonds, promote fun, exploration and relaxation and create long lasting memories.
We will take care of the details so all you need to do is show up and make the most of your vacation days. You get to enjoy alongside your kids, watch them grow, discover the world through their eyes and savor those amazing travel moments.
You will feel relaxed, empowered and proud knowing that you are raising kids that are mindful and globally aware: kids who are happier, have greater self-awareness and a strong sense of purpose. Kids who will grow up to do wonderful things in this world.
BETTER WORLD
Every provider, big or small, shares our passion for family travel and our commitment to making positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritages.
We make it easy for you to support companies that are doing meaningful work, supporting local communities and the environment.
LEARN MORE HERE
Your (free) guide to the top travel destinations for families with babies, teens and everyone in between.
The Best Family Vacations by Age
Hi, I'm Brandolyn!
Adventurer, advisor, ally.
Growing up, I felt drawn to nature early on. I’m inspired daily by our beautiful planet - the place we all call home - and by learning about what we can do to ensure its continued survival for future generations. Working with children for over 6 years and running an environmentally conscious subscription business for the last 3 years has shown me that not only are sustainable and ethical practices alive and well, but so is the love for our planet.
All of this has only fueled my motivation to keep going and growing! In my free time, you’ll find me planning my next adventure with my husband, hanging with my 2 dogs, practicing conservation, and sharing my passions with others!”
I'm an imperfectly eco-conscious adventurer, environmentalist, and lifelong learner.
Born in the Philippines, raised in Hawaii, and now living wherever the wind and waves take me, the world has and always will be my classroom. Surfing, diving, backpacking, holistic health, history, digital art, photography, and creative writing are just a few of my favorite subjects.
I am here today, with Our Whole Village because I understand the abundance of benefits one can reap from a well curated trip. I’ve had some truly amazing opportunities to travel the globe for various lengths of time and for multiple purposes. I’ve had the chance to work at unique locations from a 5-star luxury guest ranch in Montana, to a canvas tent glamping resort in Arizona. And before that, I spent nearly half of my college career abroad in countries including Japan, Switzerland, Mexico, and South Korea.
Hi, I'm Angelina!
The sense of unity, belonging, and self-awareness are just a few things I build upon every time I set out to explore something new. Culture exchange and experiencing first-hand what it is like to live as a local in a foreign place opens up an entire world to delve into -- from the physical environment, to the way of life, and the food, to the traditions. Travel reawakens the parts of my mind I never knew existed and I always come home fascinated, motivated, and a little more grateful than I was before I left.
Through Our Whole Village, my aim is to share this feeling with individuals, families, or groups looking to discover deeper connections with a new place and its people, in the most enriching and fulfilling way. I’m ready to make your travel dreams a reality, whenever you are!
Hi, I'm Beau!
I grew up in a small town in Southern Wisconsin where the cows outnumbered the people 3-1! As an adult, I have lived in multiple cities in Wisconsin and spent a few years in Tacoma, WA. Currently I live in Watertown, WI with my wife and my dog "Little Foot."
My love for traveling and experiencing new places started at a young age. As a kid, I would go on amazing road trips with my family around the country. I never realized at the time, but looking back most of my fondest memories from my childhood were on these trips. My parents were not big on flying though, and I didn't fly at all until I was 18! Since then, that's all I have wanted to do.
Traveling for me is a way to get out of my comfort zone, break free from the normal, and to truly experience life!
I live in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil with my husband and two boys. I used to work as a scientific researcher in the field of Genetics, but when my kids were younger, I decided to work from home and spend more time with them. When searching for my passions, travel planning was at the top of my list.
When Our Whole Village’s posts started to show up on my social media feeds, it was love at first sight. It was like Patty, our founder, was an old friend of mine and her views and business were in perfect alignment with my own.
I am very enthusiastic about the idea of planning family trips in a way that adults and children can see the world and experience different cultures. Travel can change the world. That is the philosophy that I took with me and my small family on our trips to Cuba, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Chile, Australia and so many places in my beautiful Brazil, like Bonito, Foz do Iguaçu, Lençois Maranheses, Bahia, etc. And it’s what I believe in when planning trips for clients too.
I live in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil with my husband and two boys.
I used to work as a scientific researcher in the field of Genetics, but when my kids were younger, I decided to work from home and spend more time with them. When searching for my passions, travel planning was at the top of my list.
When Our Whole Village’s posts started to show up on my social media feeds, it was love at first sight. It was like Patty, our founder, was an old friend of mine and her views and business were in perfect alignment with my own.
Hi, I'm Daniela!
I am very enthusiastic about the idea of planning family trips in a way that adults and children can see the world and experience different cultures. Travel can change the world. That is the philosophy that I took with me and my small family on our trips to Cuba, Spain, Canada, Argentina, Chile, Australia and so many places in my beautiful Brazil, like Bonito, Foz do Iguaçu, Lençois Maranheses, Bahia, etc. And it’s what I believe in when planning trips for clients too.
I am excited to help you and your family achieve all of your travel goals! I am from Sutton, MA--a small town 45 minutes outside of Boston. Growing up in a small town I had always dreamed of traveling the world. I never thought that traveling would be so transformative to me as a young woman.
Within the past six years I have traveled to eighteen countries covering 4 continents as well as travel to 21 US states. I have experience as a solo female traveler as well as traveling with a larger group.
My favorite travel experiences include: feeding and bathing elephants in Thailand, celebrating Saint Anthony’s day in the streets of Portugal, watching the sunset over the Sahara Desert, road-tripping and hiking the National Parks in the United States, learning about nature conservation efforts in Costa Rica, and watching a volcano actively erupt in Iceland.
When I'm not traveling I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, watching Survivor, hiking Audubon trails, or making charcuterie boards.
I am excited to help you and your family achieve all of your travel goals! I am from Sutton, MA--a small town 45 minutes outside of Boston. Growing up in a small town I had always dreamed of traveling the world. I never thought that traveling would be so transformative to me as a young woman.
Within the past six years I have traveled to eighteen countries covering 4 continents as well as travel to 21 US states. I have experience as a solo female traveler as well as traveling with a larger group.
Hi, I'm Katie!
My favorite travel experiences include: feeding and bathing elephants in Thailand, celebrating Saint Anthony’s day in the streets of Portugal, watching the sunset over the Sahara Desert, road-tripping and hiking the National Parks in the United States, learning about nature conservation efforts in Costa Rica, and watching a volcano actively erupt in Iceland.
When I'm not traveling I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, watching Survivor, hiking Audubon trails, or making charcuterie boards.
Trish is a nonprofit professional, yoga-loving, rainbow seeking, chief travel planner for her adventurous family of 4. Together, they love exploring the hidden gems, national parks and big cities across the United States and abroad.
There are only three states left on the list before Trish can say she’s visited all 50 states. Some epic Dewald family vacations include traveling around Iceland in an RV, a Kenyan nature safari, and exploring Singapore and Thailand. In 2022, the family is planning to spend 6-8 weeks living in a Spanish speaking country.
In addition to traveling with her family, Trish appreciates restorative travel either solo or with friends. When planning travel, she is always looking for ways to make the experience unique, memorable and meaningful.