Hello readers!

Today I am writing about something that is close to my heart being an introvert. Now I have been an introvert for pretty much my whole life and that can have its advantages and disadvantages. As an introvert you find joy in spending large amounts of time by yourself. Growing up it was frowned upon for people in my family to spend too much time alone. For me that was where I found the most happiness and felt the most myself. I would spend lots of time in my room as a child playing with my dolls and just chillin. When I was 11 I was homeschooled and spent many hours in our basement playing video games, then when I was 12 I spend countless hours in my room watching the same movie Holes and eating Honey Nut Cheerios day after day. My family thought something was wrong but I was happy just doing me. I was also a very shy kid so outside of my few friends I made early on I made very few new ones. This was pretty much how it was all through school, me hating public speaking, group projects and participation grades.

It wasn’t until I got into AmeriCorps that I really started to come out of my shell and for a brief 10 months I was ok being around a lot of people. When I first got there I was super shy and only because of my first team during training plus a few of my dorm neighbors I don’t think I would have made very many friends in the beginning. Then once we got onto our permeant teams and started traveling I had to spend every waking moment with 12 people for 8 months which at first I was a little hard then it got a little easier then it got a little too much and by the end I defiantly needed my space. I loved the people I had just gotten to know so well but it just got to be too much togetherness.

After AmeriCorps I entered the workforce and got a job at a non-profit in DC. I can admit when I first got there I was shy and it showed. Then I discovered the youth food justice org Rooted In Community and they have really changed me for the better. I am a better public speaker because of them, a better leader and more involved due to the fact that I connected with them.

Now I do come from a big family where people where coming in and out of my house all the time and for a year I have been living with my sister and my family which for me is a lot. I lived in Richmond, VA for about a month with my niece and her two friends which was cool but it defiantly made me wanna live alone. Not really because it’s wasn’t good out there but I just need my space.

Anyway now that you know my story here are a few things people need to know about Introverts.

1. We like a lot of time by ourselves.
2. Don’t make us speak in public
3. Don’t make us go out if we don’t want too
4. Be ok with staying in a lot
5. We hate talking on the phone so text us or email us
6. We can be really cool people but we’re just shy a lot of the time so reach out to us
7. If your friends with an introvert go over to their house & pick them up and make them go out with you (they might be hesitant to go out at first but like it later)
8. Be patient with us as we are not always going to want to do anything although you will
9. Don’t expect us to be social all the time when we go out
10. The Internet is Our Friend!

If you are friends with an introvert please be patient with us and be our friends but just know we come around but don’t push us we might not always wanna be human all the time and that’s ok.

Well till next time spend a little time alone…