I'm an extrovert, something my family and friends have never let me forget, and something that didn't take me long to embrace. I feed off other people's energy and social time has always been something I would prioritize. However, when working, studying, exercise and sleep became larger priorities, social time wasn't top of the list on the daily agenda anymore.

Now, after 18 years of constantly socializing, this was a weird adjustment, to say the least. Uncomfortable, even, but sometimes even the extreme extrovert needs to take some time to face themselves. The assumption is this alone time would ruin an extrovert's spirit, that they'd fall into deep depression and always be exhausted without other people to feed off of. I've found quite the opposite.

I've got a deeper connection to my music. Windows rolled down, music blaring, singing at the top of my lungs, no one there to tell me I'm obnoxious (because no one cares how annoying you are if they don't have to deal with it). But whenever I've had a low and crappy day, Taylor Swift is almost always there for me (except for the days Spotify is there first). I get to connect with thousands of different kinds of music, too, all those hours of earbuds plugged in opens many doors of musical discovery.

I've got a greater appreciation for the world around me. My days off are almost never aligned with my friends' days off, so I gotta start taking those adventures by myself. Hiking alone is terrifying but extremely rewarding. Yes, I talk to myself at times (all the time), but at least I always agree with myself. I glance up from my laptop in a Starbucks and see everyone else in the world pretending they know what they're doing just as well as I am. And let's face it, none of us really know what we're doing at this point.

I watch a lot of movies. Netflix, Redbox, HBO, they're always available to hang late at night. And it's really cool because I watch whatever I feel like that night whether Rotten Tomatoes has rated it really good or really bad... bad movies are still pretty satisfying.

I've put my health first. Daily workouts are now expected. And it feels great, gaining muscle, losing fat, being in shape, it's an amazing self-confidence booster, and it's for me. It's not just a "thing to do" with one of my best girl friends so we can treat ourselves to Panera after, it's me getting stronger for myself and being proud of my progress. And maintaining that lifestyle has too many benefits to even try to list.

I'm more comfortable with myself. All that singing in the car, all that shopping for clothes by myself, all those lone movie nights, I've grown comfortable with my own opinions and style. There's no constant stream of other opinions going in one ear and only half of them going out the other while the other half hangs out in my head and causes me to question myself. Now let me clarify, hearing other sides is very important and it's crucial to keep an open mind, but it's no help when you have not faced yourself first and decided what you think about something first. I'm no longer meeting a standard set by a group, I'm being the best version of myself that I'll get to share with a group of friends also being the best version of themselves, which is fantastic.

I have a greater appreciation for my friends. When I do get to hang out with my friends, we get to share our stories, not just reminisce on all the things we've already done together. I see all the ways they add to my life, cause while without it I can function quite nicely, having them just makes it that much better. Usually, it's like nothing ever changed either, which is an indescribable relief.

Alone time has not faltered my extroverted-ness in slightest, if anything it's stronger, just under control. I can feed off of the energy of myself and my daily experiences, rather than only off social time, and I'm very grateful for that.