So here I am, eating alone and I just realized—I’m eating alone! *takes bow*
My awkward, lonely middle school self would literally be going crazy for my present self right now. Oh, she would be so proud! If only I learned how to eat alone at an earlier age I could have avoided a lot of empty hallway and bathroom dining experiences. I am scarred for life….and honestly? Most people are.
There seems to be some stigma about eating alone, and it doesn’t just occur in middle school, high school and college—my mom even has told me she refuses to eat by herself. People tend to associate eating alone with being lonely and having no friends, but after eating alone I did not feel lonely or like I had no friends…I actually happened to love it!
I didn’t have to put my fork down once to laugh or talk and I gobbled down my food and was heading back for seconds before I knew it.
So, because of my recent epiphany about how enjoyable and not scary eating alone in a public place is, I’ve decided to share my words of wisdom with you so you, too can eat alone without embarrassment and shame.
(And if eating alone is nothing new to you then congrats…you’re braver and more mature than I ever was.)
1. For the first timers of eating alone in public, choose a food that isn’t hard to eat…like salad. And even though we all know how gross salads are (kidding…kind of) the first time I ate alone I decided to get a sandwich that I couldn’t fit my mouth around and wished I ate something that wouldn’t draw so much attention to me. So, definitely get something that requires a fork.
2. Have something to do so you won’t be focused on the people who you think are looking at you. You’ll obviously have your phone to scroll through, but plan on bringing your books or your homework with you so then you can multitask and get some work done. I also sometimes like to eavesdrop on random people’s conversations, but that’s just me.
3. Put headphones in. If you’re a better person than I am and happen to respect other people’s privacy and don’t want to eavesdrop, music is a great thing to do when you’re eating. You’ll be so distracted humming along you won’t notice anyone else around you and can enjoy your meal alone!
4. Finally, as cheesy as it is (no food pun intended) don’t even think twice about eating alone. If you ask me, you look like a powerful, independent, sexy, mysterious woman, and chances are, you won’t be eating alone for much longer! Table for two, please!
Bon appétit, Collegiettes!