UPDATE
A for effort, and a surprisingly happy ending! 😂
First, thank you to everyone who read my post, upvoted, replied, or messaged me. A few people expressed interest, but the logistics didn’t quite work out. Someone even checked in around 6 p.m. asking for an update and some more this morning. One of the reply said Palo Alto people aren’t fun or something along the sort. But I am genuinely surprised how many of you were more invested in this experiment than I was! 😂
To be honest, I am good at conversations but not at starting one with a stranger or making the effort to. This is a last minute thought that ended up with a pleasant feeling that I “did” this even though it didn’t quite materialize.
So, no dinner date this time. But I went ahead and had dinner outside in the hotel courtyard, under some vaguely visible stars crashing my solo party, with four other parties around me. I played chess on my phone, enjoyed my meal (the kale salad was a bust, unfortunately but salmon was wonderful), and had a perfectly pleasant evening.
And here’s the unexpected part: for the first time, I actually felt completely okay eating alone in a restaurant surrounded by other people. 40s have been full of surprises. I really look forward to growing older to see more surprises.
I originally posted because I wanted to try something spontaneous rather than defaulting to staying in my hotel room. I didn’t meet a stranger for dinner, but I still got something out of the experiment.
Sometimes the win isn’t getting the outcome you hoped for. It’s discovering that trying is pretty good, too.
Thanks again, everyone. Maybe another time, another town if not here again! 🙂
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Original post
I’m visiting Palo Alto this week and have one free evening on Sunday 10/18, roughly 6–9 p.m. Rather than spending it in my hotel room, I thought I’d try something different and see if a stranger would like to join me for dinner!
No dating agenda, no sexual innuendo, no expectations. Men, women, any background or walk of life. Just two strangers sharing a meal and having a good conversation.
To be clear, this isn’t an invitation for a free dinner! We’ll each cover our own food and drinks. I’m here for the conversation, not to sponsor a night out. 😂
A little about me: I’m a south asian gay man in 40s, in tech, but I’d prefer to leave work talk behind for the evening.
Outside work, I’m interested in books, movies, documentaries, environmental health, animal welfare (pets included!), food, and arts and crafts. I’m curious about the world and enjoy hearing perspectives different from my own.
There’s only one qualification: just be able to and interested in holding a conversation.
Tell me about something you’re passionate about, an interesting rabbit hole you’ve fallen into, a documentary that changed how you see something, or simply something that makes you tick. I am a good listener but not just here to listen. Ask me anything as well. :)
If you’re up for a few hours of good food and interesting conversation, send me a message!
📍 Sunday 10/18, approximately 6–9 p.m., somewhere in downtown Palo Alto. We can figure out the details together.
