I am an only child. That being said I truly appreciate my alone time. I am currently living with three small children, a small dog, and a grown man. We all have very different needs and some of them can be very demanding. I need to be sure to make time for myself.
Sometimes my alone time is going to the grocery store or getting a coffee by myself. Sometimes I do upgrade to the occasional manicure or even a pedicure. (I did recently let my oldest daughter get a manicure, but it will be a very occasional treat). Lately I’ve also been trying to get to an exercise class at least few times a week. However, one of my favorite ways to spend some time alone is going out to eat.
Going out to dine alone has such a terrible stigma, but it is really actually an enjoyable experience. Once you get past the occasional stares of pity from people wondering why you are alone, it is actually quite lovely.
Here are some of the perks of dining alone:
- You are on your own time table.
- You don’t have to wait for someone else to pick what they want to eat.
- You don’t have to worry about making conversation, except some pleasantries with your server.
- You don’t have to feed someone else or worry about them having a tantrum at the table.
I typically enjoy reading a book, catching up on social media, or reading articles on my phone while dining solo. You can sit at a bar or table alone at a restaurant, either works. I typically prefer a table, just because I don’t like sitting up high and I also have more room for my book/Kindle. If you’re at a quicker food establishment, any table will do.
I am not alone in enjoying dining alone, in fact over the past couple years Open Table has published two studies (here and here) that have stated reservations for one person have been increasing. So, if you need to get out or there is a restaurant you’ve been meaning to try and you don’t have any one to go with, just go for it and enjoy that quality time with yourself!
