im an "introvert" as well.
i once read that "introverts" charge their batteries when they are alone, and discharge when around crowds - while "extroverts" charge their batteries when they're with people, but get discharged if left alone. sounds like a great explanation!
my husband is very outgoing
unlike me, he loves the company of many friends and could easily spend each night out and about with many people. so i guess he's an extrovert..
i've never been a "loads of friends" person. i went to the same private school for 13 years and had the same circle of 5 friends, which included my one best friend with which most of my time then was spent. i've had a small handful of friends (ones im close enough with to call on the phone) over the 7 years since high school graduation...maybe 4-5 people in all.. but we usually just spend one-on-one time together. im not a clubber, i dont drink, i dont go to bars and i hate the "young adult" scene. i prefer to be alone reading a good book or in the company of family... quiet solitude type places are my favorite spots - up in a tree
, at the beach, in the mountains, in the woods...anywhere i can be alone or with one or two people i love. there are times when i can go for months and months without seeing someone my age (besides my husband) and it doesnt bother me at all. i prefer family (husband, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins) to anyone.
i am also not comfortable in large raucous scenes and i usually make a mad dash to leave as soon as possible if i find myself in large gatherings, unless its with people i've known forever (like at a church christmas banquet or something).
on the flip side, i dont like going anywhere
alone - i prefer not to go to stores (outside of grocery shopping!) or anything unless my mom is with me. i dont like being "alone" in public, if that makes sense. i also would never be able to "live" alone (and i never have) - i like knowing that someone i love is nearby. it feels like im protected or something.
now when it comes to my working life, i forced myself to be an extrovert since i was in management...i had to be. i was known as the "always chipper, always smiling, always happy" one.... but i never felt "energized" by being around people! i always preferred sitting behind my payroll excel sheet to getting out and socializing with the workers.