Valerie Valcourt has actually lived all around the U.S. in Seattle, New York City and Washington, D.C. But she made her most significant relocation yet in 2015 when she stopped her six-figure Big Tech task to go to pastry school in France.
Valcourt, 34, informs CNBC Make It she began the procedure in 2020 when, while making simply over $100,000 for a significant business in Seattle, she was feeling “at a really low place” and questioning: “What would I want to be doing that would bring me joy?”
She’d constantly wished to live abroad and go to cooking school, so she started investigating her choices. She conserved $20,000 by moving home with household in Connecticut and, by mid-2022, was accepted into a cooking program in the south of France.
Valcourt formally relocated to France in January 2023 and started her sped up three-month program of extensive pastry courses and French lessons, followed by a four-month internship.
All in, she paid about 10,000 euros ($10,850) for tuition and another 1,800 euros ($ 1,953) for real estate.
Valerie Valcourt stopped her task as an executive assistant and relocated to France for cooking school in her 30 s.
Courtesy of Valerie Valcourt
Quality living for less cash
Valcourt now works full-time as a pastry assistant at the dining establishment Maison Chabran in Pont- de-l’Isere, France.
She makes approximately 20,000 euros ($21,705) a year, less than a quarter of her previous American income.
Even so, Valcourt lives conveniently on a lot less cash in France.
I’m not making lots of cash, however I can manage to live here.
Valerie Valcourt
American who relocated to France for pastry school
To start, her company covers her seasonal real estate, a minimum of up until April when a brand-new intern class begins. When she ultimately discovers her own home, Valcourt anticipates to pay approximately 300 euros ($326) each month for a studio or 500 euros ($543) each month for a 1-bedroom home. Some systems even come supplied.
In her time residing in a few of the most significant and most costly U.S. cities, Valcourt states she never ever invested less than $800 each month on lease even when dealing with roomies.
Most of her meals originate from her dining establishment task, so she hardly ever invests cash on groceries. She’ll begin budgeting for her own food start in April and approximates it’ll cost 30 euros ($33) per journey every 2 weeks, or as much as 50 euros ($55) “if I’m feeling fancy and want extra snacks and things.” She states she’s continually amazed at how fresh and premium the fruit and vegetables is, even at an economical cost.
Valcourt states having her living and food expenses covered by her company was “a big factor” in taking the task, particularly simply starting in her cooking profession.
“I’m not making tons of money, but I can afford to live here,” she states. “I can have this pastry job, build up my resume and build up myself to get to the level I want to and not have to worry about where I’m going to put my head at night.”
Transportation is “super easy” because Valcourt lives within strolling range of work. She can take the bus to get to a larger city for about 1 euro ($ 1.09), and taking a trip Europe is really cost effective by train or aircraft. Valcourt just recently travelled to Switzerland and invested 40 euros ($44) for round-trip train tickets. She saw another offer to take a trip from Paris to London by train for simply 29 euros ($32).
Thanks to her low costs, Valcourt has actually had the ability to conserve in between 1,300 to 1,500 euros ($ 1,421 to $1,640) monthly. She states she has “more than enough” to purchase a vehicle to check out a lot more of France, and to begin spending for a home in the coming months.
Cultural distinctions at work and in life
Valcourt has actually observed a huge distinction in how the French approach their work and individual lives, compared to the standards of American work culture.
She operates at the dining establishment for around 42 to 46 hours each week, and it differs if there’s a vacation or the dining establishment is knocked. Workers get 2 paid trip days each month, or approximately 5 weeks off every year– generous by U.S. requirements.
Valcourt and her coworkers strive, however they’re likewise protective of their breaks.
“The French are very adamant about not working overtime,” she states. “When it’s time to stop, it’s time to stop, go home and rest.”
She and her coworkers likewise support leaving work at the office and not letting tension develop in the house.
Valcourt has actually likewise gained from colleagues that not all stereotypes hold true. The French get a bum rap for being cold, she states, however she discovers they’re really friendly and enjoy little talk. It assists that she is conversational in French, too.
Finally, she delights in how the French technique commemorating things huge and little. “There’s always a fete happening on a national level or in the village,” she states. Lucky for her and her enthusiasm for food, they frequently focus on sharing meals together, and “the reverence for food and pastry here is super cool.”
Valcourt feels lucky her school and companies have actually assisted her with the required visas to remain in the nation, and she presently has a long-term employment agreement with her business, which utilizes numerous foreign and seasonal employees.
She states she does not have a five-year strategy however usually wishes to find out as numerous cooking and pastry methods as possible, and view as much of France while she can. She’ll ultimately go back to the U.S. to be closer to household and has actually even talked with her daddy about opening a pastry shop together.
Conversions from euros to USD were done utilizing the OANDA conversion rate of 1 euro to 1.09 USD on March 12,2024 All quantities are rounded to the closest dollar.
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