My life literally began at 40... Well, maybe 39... When I took the plunge and lived for a year à Paris.

Hi, my name is Jettee Torres (pronounced as Jet-teeh) but my friends and family commonly know me as Jet. The name, Jettee, is a term of endearment that was born when a few of my close friends christened me with it. Jettee has now become my alias.

In 2014, I realized my longtime dream of becoming a certified pastry chef in the mecca of pâtisserie that is Paris, at one of the most renowned culinary schools in the world, Le Cordon Bleu, and I left the city of lights also bringing home with me a new and glittery way of life. It makes one confirm why the French has a saying joie de vivre because they have perfected the love for living life. And I feel blessed that this vigor influenced me while living there. Needless to say, Paris became my hometown. My heart will always be there, waiting for me to fly back whenever my time allows me.

And to say the least, I love food. I love the emotion sensors that awaken in me when I taste good food. This is what I intensely learned living in France. Their love for life is intertwined with their love for food – and wine. So you will find here some talks about wine too… well mostly because my husband, Jhon, is an exceptional sommelier and his love for wine rubs off me too.

 I have gone through many trials in life that, I feel, imparting my experiences may benefit others through my journey. I am as human as can be and I make mistakes – but I learn from them. Hence, this online journal is about living and loving life. Again, I credit this to the renewed life I was blessed and I would love for you to see that there is always a brighter side of life. 

It is my hope to share snippets of my life with you. I am not a writer, nevertheless, I consider myself a storyteller. As imperfect as I am, He still blessed me with so much; therefore, I share my humble blessings with you. There will be travel stories, which I confess is my second love. Traveling and getting lost is where you truly find yourself. And there will be some talks about inspiration from life experts who I greatly admire. I am a lover of quotes and readings that inspire and promote positivity. Having experienced firsthand the value of second (third, fourth, fifth...) chances, I would like to share with you one of the favorite quotes I live by that encouraged (and encourages) me to move forward ...

I am a great believer of hard work. This is what I witnessed in my parents and this is how I strive to live – that nothing worthwhile comes easily. Some people dream of a charmed life but that oftentimes is a false reality; no reward happens without putting in the work.

"There is (real) hard work behind every great achievement" is what I say. But hard work does not have to be without living your life to the fullest and elevating each day by appreciating what you have no matter how modest. Always bring your own sunshine.

Last and most importantly, I was Mama to the cutest, most adorable and well-behaved furbaby named Lola Talula. She was a big part of my life – and Jhon’s – and I believe she should be mentioned. She was our little jetsetter furbaby and we brought her everywhere with us, including our year in Paris, wherein we traveled around France, Tuscany, and Spain. In Spain, Jhon and I walked more than 300 kilometers on the Camino de Santiago and our Talula was our little peregrina. She was a superstar and everyone adored her. She filled our lives with unconditional love for 13 years before she crossed the rainbow bridge on December 2019.

Today, I am Mama again to two giant poodles, Margaux and Olivia. They are the joy in our home and are the sweetest and cuddliest jumbo furballs ever.

Postscript:  In life, the journey is what moulds us. You may read our story with our little angel, Marcus Jaime, here ... Little Angel Hands.

With God, nothing is impossible.

Merci et bonne journée ! 

Sharing with love,

Jettee