Table for one, please

I am a pretty intensely introverted person, which can be a challenging thing now and again. As long as I get a little time to myself to regroup and unwind, I’m perfectly comfortable being sociable or doing far more extroverted things like teaching or going out, but situations where I am around other people for long stretches of time really wear me out. No matter how much I treasure good company and enjoy being around interesting people, dealing with more than a few people at a time — or any number of people for a long stretch of time — usually requires a conscious effort, a way of slipping into a different, more outgoing mode for a little while, and then getting some serious rest afterwards. (This, as family members may be suspecting at this moment, is why I always retreat to the solitude of long naps in the middle of holiday get-togethers.)

Travel has always been particularly challenging, or at least traveling with other people. Travel on its own is pretty tiring, what with all the new things to take in and explore at every turn, but it’s really tough when I can’t get a chance to just be alone and let my brain settle down for a spell. I really like traveling on my own, actually, just so I can follow my nose and take things at my own pace and decide for myself how much I feel like diving into my surroundings. It’s also wonderful to see someplace new with people you can talk to and enjoy it with, but it only really works if they’re happy to go off on their own and leave me to myself now and then.

It was lovely, then, to come across “Confessions of an Introverted Traveler” and “Six Tips for Introverted Travelers“, a pair of articles that finally acknowledge how introverts handle trips and vacations differently than their more gregarious friends, families, and colleagues. This little bit is perhaps the best summary of my whole attitude about such things:

I’m not opposed to traveling with others — a good travel companion is a joy and an extroverted companion can make connections for you on the road. But I’m also not shy about eking out time to myself as necessary. An hour walking alone, some solo time in a museum, an hour in a hotel garden with a book can provide a very refreshing break from interaction. Anyone who doesn’t respect your need for downtime is probably not the right travel companion for you.