Finding true friends is hard for anyone, but for introverts it’s especially hard. It’s very difficult to put yourself out there in new situations and introduce yourself to new people. Not only that, but our reserved personalities often come off as unfriendly or rude, when in reality we just need a little bit more time to warm up to you.

So many times in my life I’ve met people who were extremely friendly to me the first few times I saw them, and then after a little while, they distanced themselves from me or stopped talking to me. I’ve always wondered if this was because they thought I wasn’t interested in becoming their friend. Nine out of ten times, when someone is friendly to me, I want to be friendly back, but once again unfortunately my shyness is often mistaken for unfriendliness, and people turn away.

So to my friends who stuck around a little longer and tried to pull me out of my shell, thank you. Thank you for dominating all of the awkward conversations where I probably just smiled and nodded. Thank you for making the first move by asking me to hang out with you or asking me for my number, because chances are I was probably too shy to do it first. Thank you for seeing through my awkwardness and seeing that I really am just like everyone else.

If I started to distance myself from you after a little while, thank you for constantly checking up on me and continuing to put effort into our friendship. I know sometimes if we go a little while without talking, I’m too shy to reach out to you to hang out again. So thank you for continuing to stay in touch with me when our lives tend to head in separate directions.

My best friends all know that once I’ve reached that level where I am comfortable with you, I can become the most outgoing person. I can be funny, I can be spontaneous, and I love going out and doing new things, whether it be going to the movies, theme parks, the beach, or just going out and exploring nature. I can be all the things most outgoing people are, I just need a lot more time to become comfortable with you. So once again, thank you for taking the extra time to get to know me and see past my shyness.