A Day in My Life at Ritz Paris Escoffier Pastry School.
At 6:30 in the morning, I wake up on my own—about 20 minutes before my alarm goes off.
I stretch my stiff body a little, slowly get up, wash my face, and start fixing my hair. By then, Jacob is up too, asking what I want for breakfast. I tell him what I want, and he makes my breakfast while I’m finishing getting ready.
Breakfast menu is almost always the same:
boiled eggs and tomatoes, an apple with peanut butter, or a glass of soy milk with chia seeds.
And the sparkling tea of the day.
I’m not really a breakfast person. But ever since I started attending Ritz Escoffier pastry school, I’ve made it a habit to eat something small in the morning. I just don’t want to start my day with sugary cream or pastries.
It’s already been three months, but eating around 7:20 a.m. still isn’t easy for me. I manage, slowly, with sips of cold sparkling tea.
These days, mornings in Paris are around 23°C (73°F). The heat dome hasn’t left Europe, and even though mornings are the “cooler” part of the day, it still feels intense for us. We’re used to living with air conditioning in the summer. If I drink something hot, I start sweating almost immediately. My forehead, underarms, even down my back. Starting the day with a cold glass of sparkling tea honestly makes it feel a little more bearable.
At exactly 8:00 a.m., I kiss Jacob goodbye and head out.
The apartment we’re staying in now, in Opéra, was chosen for one simple reason: it’s close to school. It’s smaller than our previous place, but the kitchen is bigger. The fridge, though, is smaller. We barely have a freezer, a bag of ice wouldn’t even fit.
Still, I really like this apartment.
It has everything you imagine in a Parisian home. An old building, a fireplace with a mirror above it, and when you open the window, you see rows of blue-gray Parisian rooftops. The wooden floors creak, and the elevator is so small it barely fits two people. And if it’s out of order, we have to climb up five floors on a spiral staircase.
The fact that all of this feels romantic probably means I really do love Paris.
Class starts at 8:30 a.m., and there’s no sitting down until lunch at noon.
Strawberry with St-Germain, and mango with rum.
One of the best things about the Ritz school is that a freshly cleaned and pressed uniform is waiting for me every day in the locker room. And they provide staff lunch! There’s a generous salad bar, a rotating hot menu, dessert, fruit, drinks and coffee. With food and uniform taken care of, it’s much easier to focus on learning.
At 3:00 p.m., we wrap up class and start cleaning. After the final briefing and a bit of Q&A with the chef, the day officially ends around 3:30 p.m.
When I step outside, the bright sunlight makes me squint. Today it’s 34°C (93°F)—not a bad summer day.
What should I do now?
I could walk around and enjoy the beauty of Paris, go shopping during the summer sales, or sit at a brasserie or café with a glass of wine to people-watch. But I’m a homebody, so I always head straight home.
When I get back, Jacob greets me, and we immediately start discussing dinner.
Some days he cooks, some days I do.
One of the best things about living in Opéra is that there are so many Korean and Japanese markets and restaurants nearby. But we actually don’t eat out that often.
It might sound a little arrogant, but honestly, it’s not easy to find places that taste better than what we fix at home.
We usually eat dinner around 6:00 p.m., sometimes earlier. On days when we feel good, we’ll have some wine, but not often on weekdays.
After dinner, I shower and wind down. My body needs a lot of sleep, so I’m usually in bed by 8:30 p.m. I’ll post a few Instagram stories, watch some YouTube, or read a book a bit before falling asleep around 9:30 or 10 p.m.
Honestly, my days don’t feel that “full.” I’ve always had low energy, and as I get older, I can feel it draining even faster. I never make plans during the week. Just getting home and resting already feels like there’s not enough time left.
The heat definitely doesn’t help either. There’s really no escaping it until the next morning. And even then, it only lasts for a couple of hours.
Now I have exactly one month left before leaving this place.
I never imagined I’d end up staying in Paris for over a year.
I’d go through two summers here.
I’d attend pastry school.
And I definitely didn’t expect to meet so many good people.
Everything I experienced here has been healing.
It feels like I’ve reset myself as a chef.
And now, little by little, I’m finding the courage to begin again.
