Working with a Lion

Much of my time in Brisbane was spent working at The Lion Richlands restaurant.
Was there a real lion? No. Was it a circus sometimes? Maybe a little, but what workplace isn’t.

If you’ve been following Kleo and I for a while now you’ll know that we came to Brisbane for the purpose of finding work and to continue having adventures in new places.
Finding work turned out to be somewhat easier than I expected. When I started looking I didn’t really know what I was looking for.
Did I want to go back into the arts? Did I want an office job? Something that I could travel with? Use other skills that I had already gained in the past? Honestly I had no idea, and I think like many things in the past few years I decided to be open to what comes along.

I spent the first 2 months in Brisbane doing little jobs; pet sitting, house sitting, online tutoring while I searched for something a little more steady.
In early January 2023 a job ad came along for The Lion Richalnds; a large hospitality venue and football club near to where I was living. I’d gone for lunch with family a few weeks prior, and it was jokingly suggested I should get a job there.
Despite limited exepreince in hospitality I sent in an application and a few weeks later (after an interview that was done and dusted before it was even due to begin) I was starting my first training shift at The Lion Richlands restaurant.

Now here we are 1 year and 4 months later counting down the final days and hours of work before jetting off on more adventures. These last few days have had me reflecting on my time at The Lion Richlands. Whilst it might not have been as thrilling or exotic as gallivanting around Eastern Europe, it has been a pretty great time.

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My time at The Lion Richlands has brought me new friends, valuable experiences, and skills that helped me achieve other goals like publishing my book and traveling.

Moving to a new city in a new country often means friends and connections are few and far between and this was true in my case. My family in Brisbane have welcomed and supported me during my time here but they do lead thier own busy lives. So being able to finds new friendships and connections at work was a great thing.
It was an odd mix though. There were those that I would spend hours around on shift, dealing with problems and challenges together, getting to know pretty well; and then there were others who I’d see less often, stopping in for a hello or a chat at their desk (or a “threat” that they’ll arrange for my visa’s to be cancelled so I can’t leave.) And there are a few who I think have been more closely built friendships that despite leaving I truly hope to see again someday somewhere in the world.

Interestingly, I’ve also built some wonderful connections with a number of the regulars. So much so that for the past couple weeks several have been asking about my departure before I’ve even told them I was leaving. These connection might be more passing, and perhaps I’ll bump into them someday but it’s nice to have shared those moments in time.

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Several years ago, I realized that one of my greatest joys is sharing stories and experiences—whether I create them myself or help others do so. This was a great realisation when I worked in theatre and even more interesting as I find myself applying the self knowledge to other areas of my life.
For my work at The Lion Richlands it meant that if a customer dining in got a good experience and maybe a good story I could be happy and enjoy myself.

To the dismay of some colleagues this did mean corny jokes such as ensuring customers had their walking shoes on for the long walk to the closest table in the restaurant; it got a laugh every time so I have no regrets and whilst colleagues say they’re glad they won’t hear it anymore I’m sure they’ll miss it.

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My time at The Lion may be coming to an end but it will not be forgotten any time soon. It is now another chapter in the crazy story that is my life. I’ll be taking the memories and more with me on my next chapter.