BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—The owner of a travel agency in town has landed her dream job – planning dream vacations.

Candace Kalb, 35, runs CTA Travel LLC, a full-service travel agency at 4776 Holmes Center Road.  The perfect fit for the former flight attendant who not only travels but readily admits she’s downright “addicted” to it.

“I travel way too much,” said Kalb, who has a river cruise, and three other trips planned for her and her family between now and October.  “Then I hear of more places from my clients.  My bucket list doesn’t ever get any shorter.”

Kalb said she was bitten by the travel bug early on.  “It was my dad (Bruce Workman) that put the bug in my ear.  I always loved the stories he told of his trips out west, and it made me want to go.  He encouraged me to be a flight attendant.”

So, she did.  By 2011 the Bucyrus native had completed the required training and certification, and was flying domestically for Delta, United, American, and Continental airlines.  “I loved the traveling.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

But a year later she decided to “ground” herself at the Bucyrus AAA.  A 10-year stint with the travel agency that also promoted her to store manager of both the Bucyrus and Mansfield offices and eventually a district manager for Ohio.

In February 2022 shortly after the birth of her son she became a stay-at-home mom.  It was short-lived.  “I immediately knew I missed travel.”  That August, Kalb obtained the necessary licensure and officially launched CTA Travel.

“I thought honestly it would be a side job, but it took off immediately,” Kalb said.  “Word of mouth and social media really carried it at first, and referrals too.  It’s not a hobby for me.  It’s a full-time job now and I love it.  I love it so much.”

CTA Travel, she said, can arrange trips and accommodations for clients anywhere in the world.  Ocean and river cruises, Disney World and Universal Studios, all-inclusive resorts, and popular tourist spots in between.

With a special fondness for Florida beaches, the charming streets of London, and the Happiest Place on Earth, Kalb has personalized the agency’s website with pics of her, husband Matt, and four-year-old Crew in those destinations.  They’re frequent flyers too.

Kalb said CTA Travel doesn’t charge service fees for vacation packages.  But she said relying on the expertise of a certified travel agent is key, especially when booking flights, hotels, tours, and transportation for tailor-made vacations.

“Time is important.  I’m there for a client if they need to make a change or if they have a flight issue or an emergency.  You’re not getting a call center.  I want what’s best for the client.  The internet usually doesn’t.”

Because this seasoned travel expert has a motto: “You dream it, we plan it.”  And she’s always ready to chart another journey, creating memories to last a lifetime.