Ashley’s: A day In the life of an American au pair in France

Today I want to give my readers a glimpse into my very glamorous life here in France. So, ready
to find out what the life of an au pair is really like?
At 7:45, I wake up to the sounds of the family having breakfast and getting ready for school. At
quarter past 8, I drag myself out of bed to have breakfast. I pop two slices of pain de campagne
in the toaster while I swirl raspberry jam into creamy Fjord yogurt. When the toast is ready I
slather it with tangy goat cheese.

Catherine, the lady I work for, comes back from dropping the girls off at school at 9. Before she
leaves again for work she asks me if I can make boeuf bourguignon for dinner and shows me the
recipe. I nod and fake a smile. I can make boeuf bourguignon, right? Gulp.

On her way to work Catherine drops me off in town which is awesome because I don’t have to
walk 30 minutes to get to the center. I head to my favorite bookstore and buy two French
grammar books for my language school.
On Tuesdays, I go to the market in the town plaza at 9:50. I photograph the market and chat
with the vendors – all of whom are more than happy to have their pictures taken, to my
surprise.

Downside – most of the vendors call me madame and I begin considering preventative botox.

At 11:30, I stop at a small café for an early lunch. I order an espresso with cream (café creme)
and it tastes watered down and bitter, as it usually does in France. While their coffee isn’t my
favorite, the French have mastered the art of salad creation. The shallot vinaigrette on the
salade parisienne I order is perfection. Upside – the waiter repeatedly calls me mademoiselle
and I feel my youth flowering again. No botox today.

I walk home listening to Mika on my ipod, excited to edit the photos I have just taken. At 12:30,
after a long walk home I run to my computer to begin some photo editing. 1:00 PM is reading
time. I am currently reading Orwell.

At 3 PM, I decide it’s time to get domestic, so I clean the kitchen and start preparing the boeuf
bourguignon. The ingredients are as follows – beef, tons of carrots, two onions, bay leaves and
thyme. I don’t even have any wine to use!
Zoe, the 12-year old girl I take care of, comes home from school at 5 PM and we rush to take the
bus to her dance class. After we get home at 7:30, I set the table in preparation for my favorite
part of the day, dinner with the family.

I finish cooking the boeuf bourguignon at 8:00 PM, and cross my fingers that it works out. I
manage to find a water bottle full of white wine so I throw some in and hope for the best.
Dinner is served at 8:30. The boeuf bourguignon miraculously turns out, even though it’s the
first time I’ve made it.

10:30 is bed time. Before I go to sleep, I pray my culinary good luck will see me through another
day.

To read the entire blog post, click on the link below:

https://www.ashleyabroad.com/2012/11/28/american-au-pair-france/