Eating Alone, Liberating or Awkward?

People watching in Paris is what I had heard about before embarking on my journey to live here for four months of my life. “Grab a coffee and croissant and sit outside and just watch”, is what I heard family and friends say. On one of my first days in the city of love, I found myself walking back from orientation alone and figured why not!

I tried my best to order a cappuccino (I have completely given up on my non-dairy life, trying to speak French is hard enough I don’t want to embarrass myself more by asking for a non-dairy alternative!) and a croissant and found my way to wicker chair facing the street. I tried just sitting there, as a twenty-year-old, I am always on my phone as you can guess and when you are sitting alone drinking your coffee and you have scarfed down your croissant in point five seconds you naturally find yourself back on your phone trying to take a picture of my picturesque afternoon. This first attempt at eating alone in public was a bit of a fail, I found myself getting bored very quickly and leaving soon after ten minutes. 

I was not too discouraged by my first eating alone experience, I would try again but this time I would come prepared with a book. I decided I would walk back towards my University and try out one of the many Italian restaurants I see on my twenty-minute walk to class. Gusto Italian was the chosen winner, in my horrible french once again I asked to sit and eat dinner, I was greeted by a friendly waitress who offered me water and olives while I made my final decision. I decided on pizza and a glass of white wine. The wine came quickly and I began my first meal eating alone in public in a foreign country. I took out my book of choice, Crazy Rich Asians. I had seen the movies before leaving for Paris and my mom and sister said I had to read the book! No more than ten minutes my pizza came and I began to eat while reading (not an easy task). My one complaint about these pizzas in Paris is how they are never cut for you! I am sure my American is showing as a say this but I end up cutting the pizza in the most inconvenient shape.

My second attempt at eating alone was given a better grade than my first attempt I’d say (since I am the one grading myself). Eating alone at a restaurant is honestly really weird at first, I was self-conscious that people were looking at me and wondering if someone would be joining me. After about thirty minutes another people came in and got a meal alone, perhaps this is how people have alone time here in Paris. A self-care opportunity perhaps, time to reflect on your day without the thoughts of someone else, or maybe this is the only time where you can relax. I hope that as I continue traveling abroad I will become more and more comfortable being alone but not feeling alone. 


After reading this article I was inspired to write my blog post:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/30/travel/solo-eating-in-paris.html