I am the dictionary definition of an introvert. Most of the time, I hate people and can't stand being around them. I hate social interactions, I hate gatherings, I hate parties. I abhor going to events with tons of people, I despise thinking and rethinking what I'm about to say to people.

If I was an iPhone and I had a battery life, after about six hours of consecutive social interaction, I would be dead. The only thing I can do to recharge is to be alone. I value my time alone, wrapped up in my bed on the internet or just thinking by myself. I need that time to recharge because interacting with humans take so much out of me.

I am wholly and entirely an introvert. I don't think I'll ever be at a place where I'm 100% comfortable with interacting with people all the time, and that's okay because, at the end of the day, I can always recharge.

But that being said, that doesn't mean I can't be "extroverted" as well.

As an introverted and shy person, if you first meet me I'm very quiet and hesitant to say anything. For the most part, I'm scared of saying something incorrectly or having a joke fall flat. I'm scared of the judgment that follows my words. When I'm in a group of new people (and I think we all do this) I'm shy and quiet and mundane. But once I get to know you, and I'm more comfortable in an environment or setting with certain people that I like or know, I open up.

To my close friends and friends in general, I am talkative, loud, noisy, funny, daring, annoying, shocking and crazy. In my friends' eyes, I'm an extrovert, not an introvert. That's because I'm comfortable around them. However, I can still remain an introvert because at the end of the day, even if I am spending that entire day with my best friends, my battery will still continue to drain until it dies. And, at the end of the day, I will still need to recharge by being alone. Be it best friends or random strangers, social interaction of any kind drains me. It's hard to entertain people constantly sometimes!

Just because I'm an introvert, it doesn't mean I don't have extrovert tendencies.

There are times when I'm incredibly social and I'm enjoying it, and people will sometimes be shocked when I tell them I am a hardcore introvert, however, at the end of the day I need a recharge. I'm just saying that one can be an introvert and still enjoy and partake in social interactions with people.

I like to think of myself as a turtle sometimes. If I get scared by social interactions (which I often do because I hate them and they usually cause anxiety) I shove my head into my shell. But after some gradual prodding and poking with the right people, I come out. And when I do come out, I am the loudest, most talkative, annoying person there. You might even regret letting the inner extrovert in me out.

To all my fellow introverts out there, I hope we can all relate with this. Many people think that introverts can't enjoy social interactions and just spend their days locked up in their room, but we do enjoy social interaction, just in little tid-bits. Know that it's okay if you don't want to hang out with people sometimes, and that it's perfectly fine to enjoy alone time. In fact, I think it's necessary for self-reflection and self-development. Stay true to your inner introvert.