Originally Posted by chinchillamoose

I love spending my birthday by myself!! I've done that the past two birthdays. I get the day off work so I shop all day and have lunch at a posh restaurant by myself. I like my friends, but I got sick of trying to organize something. I have friends who are vegan or do not drink, and if people are coming out for *my* birthday, I want everyone to have fun regardless. Eating out or getting a drink as activities make me stressed out because I feel like someone might not be happy with the situation.

I feel the same way! You can hardly enjoy yourself worrying about others. I've taken to my friend's tradition as well and enjoyed a day pampering myself. Sometimes, it's nice to just be by yourself!

alone if it's a fastfood. resto? no i haven't done that. and i like to socialized with someone when i eat as much as possible.

I have always wanted to try this one day (fast food, food courts, I've definitely done before) but not in a sit down restaurant with waiters. I have always been worried whether they (the person that seats you) will say something weird to you, or that they only seat parties of 2 or more, etc.

I do that once or twice a week. I relish the times when I am alone and do not have to be in a converstion with someone. I do not even need a magazine, cause I usually just stare out and "people watch".

I don't really like eating by myself either, so no I've never been solo to a restaurant! But I do enjoy sitting at a cafe by myself, having lunch & coffee while reading a magazine One of my way to relax.

A full-blown restaurant (i.e. with waiters) like The Ivy or Nobu, no not even at lunch.

If a restaurant with a bar yes because there will always be fellow 'loners' LOL like me talking to me.

it depends.
i love japanese and korean food a lot. and my DH does not. i prefer to go with friends to japanese and korean restaurant. but if they are not available and i am really craving the food, i will go anyway.
i dont have very many friends who also like japanese and korean food, so its not like i have options.

Yes, I love eating in restaurants by myself. It's a chance to just relax and read the paper without worrying about my two-year-old or having to make conversation (not that I don't like talking to my spouse ). I don't get many opportunities to have time to myself like that. Plus, then I don't have share my dessert with anyone .

I also love going to movies by myself since I can see anything I want and not share my popcorn. Hmm....can you tell I grew up as an only child?

Originally Posted by kymmie

<snip> One of my rituals is going to IHOP (reallly classy, right!) around 5am on Saturday mornings for blueberry pancakes - ALONE.

That's one of my very favourite things, especially since I've had a kid...going for breakfast all by myself, somewhere like IHOP or Denny's, where you can sit for ages, read the entire paper cover to cover, and drink buckets of coffee non-stop. I especially like IHOP since they leave a carafe of coffee right on the table!

When you dine alone it's just you and the food, so you can fully concentrate on all the flavors you never knew were there.

Yeah, I would. In college, my friends had classes at odd hours. I'd eat by myself and I'd read or study or whatever.


I'm the type of person that likes to spend time with people, but sometimes I need some 'me time' too.

Which is not to say I'd join my friend if I saw them come into the dining hall. I totally would.

Even after college, I'd eat by myself sometimes. Again, I'd bring a book or a magazine or something.

Originally Posted by Sialia

I also love going to movies by myself since I can see anything I want and not share my popcorn.

I hear you about the movies! Certain movies would be fun to see with other people. (When I visited my cousin in Toronto sometimes the visits were timed so that a certain movie would be out. I know I would really want to see that movie and I know that my cousin would love to see it, so we wound up seeing it together. We saw Road Trip, American Wedding, and Austin Powers Goldmember together.)

I did my senior thesis on Harry Potter, and it's been a tradition with my dad and I to see the Harry Potter movies together.

But most of the time I enjoy seeing movies by myself. Sometimes the leaning over and whispering constantly during a movie gets annoying.

I enjoy eating by myself. It gives me time to think, read, get caught up w/ work, relax. Sometimes its fun to sit @ restaurants at the bar & chat with people while eating. And, you can try new things & actually savor the taste over a glass of wine of course =)

Originally Posted by GxG

I have always wanted to try this one day (fast food, food courts, I've definitely done before) but not in a sit down restaurant with waiters. I have always been worried whether they (the person that seats you) will say something weird to you, or that they only seat parties of 2 or more, etc.

Do you really think they would ask that? I think that would be odd. I eat alone often because I travel a lot and don't eat fast food (as a rule). I really don't think twice about it. I have eatten alone in the US and no one has ever said anything wierd to me about it In Paris, I always feel like I get extra special treatment when I am alone, for some reason; hope it isn't because they feel sorry for me! naaaahhhhhh!

Though I do a lot of things by myself, I could never eat in a restaurant alone (except if it's fast food). I just have this thought that I should enjoy the fine dishes with someone else.