Hey there GRRR travelers!
Now, for those of you who are new to solo travel, what I hear often is "how do you eat
alone?”
Now I get it, there's some people who feel self-conscious about eating alone, maybe they
don't want to be noticed as "the loner".
Or some people just feel awkward because they don't feel like it's socially acceptable for
them to eat in a restaurant on their own.
...That was my phone.
Today I'm gonna share with you my top five travel survival tips for how you can survive
eating alone.
There's a lot of things I do alone in my life, and if I want to get things done that I have
to bear the uncomfortable task of confronting myself and my fears.
There are many ways to keep yourself occupied when you're eating alone.
First, you have to realize that you're not as interesting as you think you are.
Unless you're drop-dead gorgeous or Angelina Jolie, then there’s a large possibility
that if you're in a crowded restaurant or at a restaurant where there's other people
you will probably not stand out.
In fact in the worst case scenario, you might actually get forgotten.
The solo people are kind of like The unnoticeable ones.
We're almost like the invisible people to some degree.
And that's because eyes are constantly attracted to things with activity.
You know, like people talking, you tend to overhear conversations and that draws your
attention.
Or people are laughing loud.
I could care less about people who are alone.
I was I want to join them!
Most times people really don't care they're either involved in their food, involved in
the conversation with their friends or people watching like you.
Unless you dress really funny or try to stand out, then possibility is that people just
notice you as part of the wallpaper.
Imagine if you're filming yourself and talking to yourself while you're eating alone.
That's a lot more awkward actually.
Number two, focus on people watching.
What are my favorite past times when I'm eating alone is people watching.
People are interesting.
From the way they were dressed, from the interactions they have, what's going on on the streets,
maybe you choose a spot eating outside so that you can watch people on the sidewalk.
Wherever it is you choose to watch people, know that people watching is very entertaining;
it's like having your own television set in front of you.
It's observing the local environment and how it operates.
Sammy are usually see people watching is kind of like a cultural learning experience.
Three, multitasking.
Bring a book with you, more importantly bring a guidebook with you so that you can brush
up on your sightseeing or the history of your the landmarks that you're visiting, as well
as potential restaurant you want to hit in the future or other activities that you hadn't
really thought of.
Also I like to use that time as mentally trying to process my route and the next steps I need
to take.
Sometimes I like to do photographs and photograph my food!
Now this isn't fried morning glories it's like (inaudible word) vegetables and the race
was unavoidable.
Because I like to maximize my time and either observe my environment or use that time to
help me on my journey and collect more ideas for my journey in fact because I'm running
from place to place, I'm eating on the run.
I just eat my food and I go.
Practice being Zen.
OK, you want to do this with your eyes open.
Revel in your downtime, enjoy the moment, feel comfortable knowing that you're being
yourself.
I like to think about what I've already seen.
I like to allow myself time to process things in me.
There's a moment when I was in Myanmar and I was at breakfast in the morning and I was
by myself and I saw a monks taking alms and all these baby monks.
I thought, oh this is such a wonderful experience!
And I was reveling in that moment, that I was there to see it.
And I thought to myself, well, what kind of lives do they lead?
I just started asking more questions and being more curious about it.
Then, a fellow traveler came up and sat right in front of me and began to talk and talk
and talk and talk.
One and less monologue.
It completely broke the spell.
It ruined that moment.
Sometimes we need that moment to process the environment and let it sink in so that we
can enjoy it more, savor it.
So when you're traveling with other people you don't have that downtime in your head
to process things, think about things further, think about the country, the culture of more.
When I'm traveling, I'm romancing that country.
I'm not trying to romance a travel partner.
Times like that I do love my moments of peace and calm.
Eat street food.
Street food is one of my favorite ideas for takeout and it allows me to eat on the run.
It also takes the pressure or burden off of me when I think about restaurants.
Because restaurants feel like it's some big affair.
Restaurants feel like a more elaborate process.
You have to wait in the line to sit down the weather gives your menu, you have to order,
you have to wait and then later on you have to think about maybe I have to tip the waiter.
All these things become a prom date process.
With street food, you're just in and out.
You're on a table they give you maybe a one page menu, maybe you just order off a board
or maybe you just point at what you want.
But the food is just there, direct like fast food and you get a culturally enriching experience.
So hope that was helpful for you.
If it was please give me a thumbs up or like, we like likes.
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And until then travel safe smart and fun and do not fear eating alone.
Embrace it!
May the GRRR be with you.