I used to work as a prep cook at a ski resort when I was 18. I lived in a small apartment with several friends about a kilometre from the restaurant, and would walk across the village to get to work. It was summer and there were plenty of people around for downhill mountain biking, hiking and some other activities, but it was also a spot for bachelor and bachelorette parties.
I knew a lot of the people who lived up there full-time and we would hang out at each other’s establishments. It was a small community and a lot of the staff were foreigners with limited supports. There was a surprisingly good number of bosses that kept us fed and full of a few beers. The bad bosses lost all their best staff to the good ones, so there was some self interest, but we knew who had the big hearts. It was Friday, and every Friday I finished my early shift and hung out at my friend’s work while he finished up his day shift. I was always fed lunch and a beer because if the dinner prep team was running late I would help out. Most of our friends worked Friday nights so we would chill after work until everyone else clocked out.