Valerie Valcourt has lived throughout the U.S. in Seattle, New York Metropolis and Washington, D.C. However she made her greatest transfer but final yr when she give up her six-figure Huge Tech job to go to pastry faculty in France.
Valcourt, 34, tells CNBC Make It she began the method in 2020 when, whereas incomes simply over $100,000 for a serious firm in Seattle, she was feeling “at a very low place” and questioning: “What would I need to be doing that may convey me pleasure?”
She’d at all times needed to reside overseas and go to culinary faculty, so she started researching her choices. She saved $20,000 by shifting house with household in Connecticut and, by mid-2022, was accepted right into a culinary program within the south of France.
Valcourt formally moved to France in January 2023 and started her accelerated three-month program of intensive pastry programs and French classes, adopted by a four-month internship.
All in, she paid about 10,000 euros ($10,850) for tuition and one other 1,800 euros ($1,953) for housing.
Valerie Valcourt give up her job as an government assistant and moved to France for culinary faculty in her 30s.
Courtesy of Valerie Valcourt
High quality dwelling for much less cash
Valcourt now works full time as a pastry assistant on the restaurant Maison Chabran in Pont-de-l’Isere, France.
She earns roughly 20,000 euros ($21,705) a yr, lower than 1 / 4 of her earlier American wage.
Even so, Valcourt lives comfortably on loads much less cash in France.
I am not making tons of cash, however I can afford to reside right here.
Valerie Valcourt
American who moved to France for pastry faculty
To begin, her employer covers her seasonal housing, at the very least till April when a brand new intern class begins. When she finally finds her personal house, Valcourt expects to pay roughly 300 euros ($326) per thirty days for a studio or 500 euros ($543) per thirty days for a 1-bedroom house. Some models even come furnished.
In her time dwelling in a few of the greatest and costliest U.S. cities, Valcourt says she by no means spent much less than $800 per thirty days on lease even when dwelling with roommates.
Most of her meals come from her restaurant job, so she not often spends cash on groceries. She’ll begin budgeting for her personal meals starting in April and estimates it’s going to value 30 euros ($33) per journey each two weeks, or as much as 50 euros ($55) “if I am feeling fancy and need further snacks and issues.” She says she’s constantly shocked at how contemporary and high-quality the produce is, even at an reasonably priced worth.
Valcourt says having her dwelling and meals prices coated by her employer was “an enormous issue” in taking the job, particularly simply beginning out in her culinary profession.
“I am not making tons of cash, however I can afford to reside right here,” she says. “I can have this pastry job, construct up my resume and construct up myself to get to the extent I need to and never have to fret about the place I’ll put my head at evening.”
Transportation is “tremendous straightforward” since Valcourt lives inside strolling distance of labor. She will be able to take the bus to get to a much bigger metropolis for about 1 euro ($1.09), and touring Europe may be very reasonably priced by practice or airplane. Valcourt not too long ago took a visit to Switzerland and spent 40 euros ($44) for round-trip practice tickets. She noticed one other deal to journey from Paris to London by practice for simply 29 euros ($32).
Because of her low bills, Valcourt has been in a position to save between 1,300 to 1,500 euros ($1,421 to $1,640) every month. She says she has “greater than sufficient” to purchase a automotive to discover much more of France, and to start out paying for an house within the coming months.
Cultural variations at work and in life
Valcourt has seen an enormous distinction in how the French method their work and private lives, in comparison with the norms of American work tradition.
She works on the restaurant for round 42 to 46 hours per week, and it varies if there is a vacation or the restaurant is slammed. Staff get two paid trip days per thirty days, or roughly 5 weeks off yearly — beneficiant by U.S. requirements.
Valcourt and her colleagues work laborious, however they’re additionally protecting of their breaks.
“The French are very adamant about not working extra time,” she says. “When it is time to cease, it is time to cease, go house and relaxation.”
She and her colleagues additionally assist leaving work on the office and never letting stress construct up at house.
Valcourt has additionally realized from co-workers that not all stereotypes are true. The French get a nasty rap for being chilly, she says, however she finds they’re very pleasant and love small speak. It helps that she is conversational in French, too.
Lastly, she enjoys how the French method celebrating issues huge and small. “There’s at all times a fete occurring on a nationwide stage or within the village,” she says. Fortunate for her and her ardour for meals, they usually revolve round sharing meals collectively, and “the reverence for meals and pastry right here is tremendous cool.”
Valcourt feels lucky her faculty and employers have helped her with the required visas to remain within the nation, and she or he at present has a everlasting employment contract together with her firm, which employs many international and seasonal staff.
She says she does not have a five-year plan however typically needs to study as many cooking and pastry methods as doable, and see as a lot of France whereas she will be able to. She’ll finally return to the U.S. to be nearer to household and has even talked together with her dad about opening up a bakery collectively.
Conversions from euros to USD have been executed utilizing the OANDA conversion fee of 1 euro to 1.09 USD on March 12, 2024. All quantities are rounded to the closest greenback.
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