How FlightHub makes these travel-related jobs a dream come true for kids

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Travel blogger and private chef might not be career aspirations we’re used to hearing from grade-school children, but in our high-tech, connected world, kids dream of bigger, more diverse lives. And often these plans include something priceless—the opportunity to travel the globe.

Through their inaugural Passport to Dreams program, online travel agency FlightHub connected five kids with professionals in travel-related fields. An aspiring pilot got to test a flight simulator, going on a virtual journey in a Boeing 737. A kid with a penchant for organizing trips spent the day with one of FlightHub’s travel planners learning about itineraries and top destinations. A boating enthusiast sailed the Saint Lawrence with Ohana Sailing, guiding a 35-foot boat from Longueuil, Quebec to Montreal’s Old Port. And, 10-year-old Lara and 11-year-old Chahd, got to meet a private chef and travel blogger, respectively.

Lara met chef David Hibon of Le Flamant in Montreal. Together they made one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, an arctic char carpaccio with a North African-inspired sauce. “I really liked meeting the chef. He was really nice and explained a lot,” says Lara. “I learned how to properly cut vegetables and how to make the dishes pretty with flowers and herbs.” The grade five student, whose favourite foods include pizza, sushi and cake, had taken after-school cooking classes but she says, “I had never been in a kitchen like that before.” She says that the experience gave her a better idea of how a chef prepares food and runs a kitchen. “It’s definitely still something I want to do when I grow up.”

Chahd, who’s in grade six and has fond memories of a trip to Cuba, met travel blogger Stacey Giannopoulos. The two chatted about the faraway places Stacey has visited and took some photos together. “I think I have a better idea of what being a travel blogger is like now and I learned that it’s important to be curious and open-minded when you travel,” says Chahd.

After her meeting with Stacey, Chahd and her family were treated to a stay at the Marriott Chateau Champlain in Montreal. “The Marriott Chateau Champlain was awesome,” says Chahd. “My favourite things were the comfy beds, the yummy breakfast, and the view from our room.” She says that her experience with the Passport to Dreams program made her realize that travelling is about “learning and making memories,” adding, “it changed how I think about jobs and my future. And travel might just be a big part of mine.”

For more information about FlightHub’s Passport to Dreams initiative, click here.