Today I learned how to eat alone.
Ok, I’m sure this was ot hte first time I’ve ever eaten alone, but when I usually have to, I tend to pick fast food or pick something up to go. This time, I was tough. During the week I traveled for work I came up with this strategy for eating alone:
1. Bring a phone. The first night I texted my brother (who made fun of me most of the conversation) to entertain me during dinner. Another night, I wrote this blog post on my phone. Twitter is also my BFF.
3. Sit smart. Tonight, I picked the bar to sit at, like all business travelers. I specifically picked a restaurant with a bar because that’s where the TVs are.
2. Let food be a distraction. The first spot I went to had a salad bar so I didn’t have to sit around for long. Tonight, I ordered a beer to drink while waiting. I find food entertaining, don’t you?
4. Dress fancy. Ok, I didn’t follow this tip tonight (wearing sweatpants!), but when I see people wearing suits at the bar, it’s clear to me that they are important and they make sitting alone at the bar look cool.
5. Realize that you are the only one who cares. Seriously, no one else cares that you are eating alone except you. How often do you actually notice someone eating alone? When I see someone alone, I think, “Wow, she is so brave,” and I want to be like her. Own it.
As a woman, I fear eating alone because I don’t want to open the door for strange men to talk to me. Sometimes a girl just wants to eat alone. But, when it comes down to it, eating alone is an irrational fear that I need to get over.
She Writes, Sometimes 