I think that to some extent all of us are afraid of being alone or of even just seeming to be alone. I know I am. If I’m waiting somewhere by myself, for a friend or for takeout, I’ll always pull out my phone and aimlessly scroll through social media, my email, or texts so that it seems like I have a purpose. I can never seem to just be in the moment. Before this trip, eating alone at a restaurant seemed terrifying.

I can now officially say that eating alone at restaurants has been one of my favorite experiences here. Because there’s no other person to distract you from the food, you can fully focus on the tastes and textures of the food in front of you. It gives you a chance to fully appreciate what you’re paying for and provides a unique opportunity to watch other people and their interactions with each other.

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Especially in Rome, the waiters seemed unperturbed when I asked for a table for one. Likewise, at my hostel’s restaurant in Venice, it was completely normal to eat alone.

While it’s always fun to share a meal with a friend or family member, I think it’s also a valuable experience to go out just with yourself and fully appreciate the food in front of you without the distractions of home or of people around you.