A couple of years ago I found myself living in Melbourne (not my smartest move, but that is for another time), not really knowing anyone and a "bit over" eating at home alone I decided one night that I should take myself out on a date. The rationale was that I should not let being single stop myself enjoy a nice meal and a glass of wine out in public. The night that I decided to do this just happened to be Thursday night.
I picked up on this whilst travelling in America. Many of the bar, cafes and restaurants had counters where you could sit as a single person and enjoy the meal. The counters was located close to where the wait staff or bar staff were and you could have a conversation with them. Here in Australia most restaurants are set up for tables of two or more and don't really encourage or actively welcome a single diner.
Not to let a small barrier of a restaurant not welcoming "single diners" get in my way, I had decided to make this my mission. Armed with a magazine as my companion and dressed as if I was about to meet someone for a "real date" I started my mission. First venue was a Japanese restaurant near where I was living, the experience was lonely as the staff were very standoffish but the food was good and the magazine enjoyable. When walking home I thought that I should do this again and also started to think of what should a venue offer me as a single diner.
Over the next few weeks I kept up my mission and was looking forward each week to Thursday night Date Night. I would try different venues, finish old magazines and start new ones. After a few weeks I found a venue that was "just right for me". It happened to be in a tourist friendly lane in inner Melbourne and suited my needs; many small tables, friendly staff, magazines and newspapers spread around. The real winner was the friendly staff that would stop and chat with me between courses. This venue came to be my Thursday night Date Night venue of choice (Cafe Olio in the Block Arcade will always hold a special place in my heart). After I while I started talking openly about my "date night" venue and as I started to meet people would ask them to join me for Thursday date night.
Upon my return to Canberra I kept up the process of taking myself out for dinner. Some Thursdays I would put a shout out via Facebook to see if anyone would like to join me or would specifically ask a friend to join me. Sometimes it is good to ask another single person out, or a friend who's partner is out at sport or away on business to join you for a date. It is exciting to get dressed up and enjoy a meal out.
The main thing is that I have still not lost the joy of taking myself out to dinner and enjoying a good meal, a glass of wine and a good magazine but more importantly self belief that being single is not a hindrance to enjoying what some people in society do as couple.
Thursday night Date Nights rock!
