Sometimes there is nothing better than taking a nice quiet sip of your favorite drink after a long day of working. You’re exhausted, you haven’t had your “you” time, and all that you have planned for the rest of the day is relaxation before bed. It’s a personal ritual of mine.
Something I’ve always wanted to feel confident enough to do is drink and eat alone at a restaurant. Seems a little silly that it’s technically a goal of mine, but I seriously had so much anxiety over the idea of sitting by myself, ordering a drink, and eating something. Are people going to judge me? Am I going to look like a loser? Is this weird? Do I look out of place?
Here in N.Y.C, those fears and questions were so invalid. Everyone does it, and for good reason. I was always so worried about going to buy a drink alone at a bar. I wasn’t sure what I would do while I was drinking (Do I just stare at my drink the whole time or the ceiling??). But after one very long, boring, and exhausting day at work, I knew I didn’t want to go home, or travel to drink with a friend, but I wanted to have wine really badly!
So, at the end of this day, I decided I would do it. I was going to go somewhere and drink alone and read my book. My mind was set and I was on my way!
I started down 3rd ave, since there are so many places to go along there, and came across the bar/restaurant called The Flying Cock. It is the most adorable place, very boutique looking, with white and sky blue paint on the outside. It kind of has a similar appeal of a sweet small cottage home in a quiet neighborhood, or as the most ideal place to take an Instagram Brunch photo.
(image taken from Google)
What I really liked about this place is that their happy hour goes until 7:00PM, and I work until 6:00PM. So I walked right over, sat my tired butt down outside, and pulled out my book. When the waiter came, I ordered a glass of their happy hour red for $9, which equaled out to being about 2 glasses for the price of one! It was lovely.
I was so happy sitting alone, drinking my wine, and reading my book. Another girl actually ended up doing the exact same thing as I was, but we were sitting back to back. The waiter also was kind enough to give me a second glass of wine on the house! Truly an excellent experience.
What I really liked about doing this though was how independent I felt. I was by myself, enjoying my book and wine, and didn’t care about anyone around me. I was completely on my own and I loved it. I felt free in a way because I didn’t have to try to have conversation with someone and I could just sit and think on my own. I felt like a real adult; a true New Yorker. And since I was able to go by myself and face my social judgement anxiety, I feel stronger as a person , and like I can do anything on my own.
What I learned from this is how much I love being alone. It is so necessary to take some time to be alone and understand yourself and enjoy your own company. I plan to do this more often, and I’ll update this too with the different places I go. But if you want to feel like an independent badass who can have fun on their own, visit The Flying Cock ASAP.
Dazed & Confused in the 212 