I’ve been following WE ARE WMN on Instagram for a minute now but somehow missed their last event with the Lions AFLW team—my devastation was immense because I am a huge Lions fan. When I saw their last event of the year coming up, I simply had to go. Hosted by three sisters, Si, Mill, and Tay at the beautiful La Bodega Taqueria, this was shaping up to be a gorgeous night.
The sisters came up with WE ARE WMN to connect women from Brisbane and set up events where people could meet and connect. These events are women-only safe spaces where ladies can connect and feel comfortable getting to enjoy themselves and each other.
I bought my ticket for $70 (plus a little handling fee of about $4), which included:
- Your choice of cocktail on arrival
- A shared banquet of:
- WMN’s Snapper Ceviche Nachos with Mango & Avo Salsa (or a vegetarian option of Shiitake Mushroom Nachos).
- Empanadas (my loves!)
- Cauliflower wings
- Mango & Chamoy Sorbet to finish
- A fun night out with the WMN girls at La Bodega
- And other treats including a Mariachi band, a piñata, and some super cute bonus mini-cocktails to enjoy together.
This year I’ve been making an effort to get out, see more of Brisbane and meet new people, so this was a perfect opportunity! I was a little nervous, especially about the transport/parking situation, so I reached out to the ladies on Instagram and they were so helpful. I checked if they were alright with me writing about the evening, and I got a resounding yes, so here we go!
Getting there…
I did ask about parking, but with the rain and my unfamiliarity with the area, I decided to Uber my way in and out. I had to work the next day, so I didn’t want to drink too much, or be out too late either. With a 6-8pm schedule, it was just enough time to meet everyone, eat the food and be home at a reasonable hour.
The bar and taqueria was such a vibe, with pink walls and low, moody lighting. There were tables set up for us in the front area, and the event filled all four as well as the bar. I wasn’t sure how busy it was going to be, but I was pleasantly surprised by how many ladies showed up—and how loud the place was! Even without the Mariachi band!
I arrived right on 6pm after my Uber driver took a wrong turn, and was greeted at the front by the lovely sisters who organise the event. Fortunately, I also met another solo-attendee at the door, and we sat together all evening. An engineer from Melbourne, Nic was unfortunately also a Collingwood supporter, but I was glad to connect with another AFL fan!
Food and Drink
The food and drinks were amazing, and thanks to La Bodega for putting on an excellent evening. We got a complimentary one on arrival, and I ordered the watermelon spritz. Unfortunately, I was too busy chatting to get a photo, but rest assured, it was delicious. Later, I ordered a Dragonfruit and Lychee Margarita ($23.00) which was sooo good too!
Servers brought each course of food out for us to share throughout the night, giving us plenty of time to chat in between eating. First up were the empanadas, which I always adore. I didn’t take too many photos of the shared food plates, as I didn’t want to be rude, but you everything looked just as good as it tasted.
Later we enjoyed the cauliflower wings (which I absolutely demolished, so no photos again, haha!) and then it was time for the snapper ceviche nachos. These were amazing—so fresh and delicious. We’re spoiled with tropical fruit and fish in Queensland, and despite the dreary rain, this tasted like summer.
Now, it wouldn’t be a proper Mexican-themed celebration without a piñata, would it? No!
Thankfully, the sister’s (as everyone referred to them, which is kind of cool and a little gothic sounding) thought of everything, and a few lucky ladies were tasked with beating the poor pink horse. It did fall off twice, but it was such good fun, and I got to chat with some other women while I was watching too, including the one who killed the horse.
Lollies spilled out and everyone got to share a little treat, which was awesome. It was such a fun evening, and the hosts were amazing as they flitted about to chat with everyone, hand out food and mini cocktails, and keep the vibes high. There was a bit of dancing and a lot of good laughs, which is exactly what you need on nights like these.
Finally, dessert was served! The mango sorbet with Chamoy was sooo good. By then the evening was starting to wrap up. Most of us had work in the morning, and I’d been up since 5am working on my own projects (the writing grind never stops!) so I was pretty tired by then. I said my farewells and caught the Uber back home, keen for some sleep and for when they started up their events next year!
Company
Events like these can be nerve-wracking for people attending solo like me. I have made a habit of doing things by myself this year, partly to prove that I can but mostly because my life is mine, and I want to enjoy it! I can’t let silly little things like people not wanting to go stop me from doing the things I love.
Fortunately, the confidence of youth has carried me through plenty of situations, and this was no different. I chatted with plenty of women throughout the night, getting to know ladies from all over Brisbane and from all walks of life. There was an engineer, an accountant, plenty of nurses, women who worked in marketing, and so many other amazing women to speak with.
Fun story: one of the women I met actually works in marketing for the Brisbane Heat BBL team! I’m a massive sports fan, so when she invited me to an event for it next week I was rapt! Invites to sporting events like these have been on my ‘manifestation list’ for a while now, so I’m super keen that it’s finally here. Stay tuned, you know I’ll tell you all about it next week 😀
Many of us connected on Instagram, so hopefully they’re enjoying this post too—hi ladies! One of my goals heading into the new year is to make new friends, as I feel I’ve been in a transitional stage of life for so long.
Connecting with people and making friends is more challenging when you’re an adult, but not impossible! You definitely need the right mindset for it, and also some luck to go your way with opportunities, but if you’re open to it, you’ll find your people. Especially if you’re attending events like these!
Summary
For a last-minute decision to attend, this was a fantastic night. Thank you to the hosts, Si, Mill, and Tay, and to La Bodega for a lovely evening. Sadly, this is the last WEARE.WMN event for the year, but they will be back next year with a calendar chock-full of fun events. I, for one, can’t wait.
In the meantime, I learned from a few other women that the sisters also run a book club, which I will definitely be checking out too: BNE Chapters.
Maybe I’ll see you there next year! Until next time, x
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