Someone just asked me what I like to do for fun.
“Run, cook, eat, read, workout…”
Then, with a chuckle, he asked if I’m an introvert. Hmmm…
“I’m somewhere between an introvert and extrovert. I love the peace and quiet of being by myself, but I also cherish the time I spend with my friends.”
Another question he then asked what I’ve learned about myself recently. With a little thought and contemplation, I told him…
“That I’m more of an extrovert than I thought I was.”
And with that, he grinned and said, “Hm. Okay.”
So, yeah, basically.
I used to be more of an introvert - totally fine with staying in on a Friday night with my parents, reading, watching a movie, working on the blog, whatever it may be. The peace and quiet was comforting and relaxing.
But now, and maybe it’s the fact that I’m in college and away from my parents and my friends back home, I often find myself craving community and interaction. And I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; it’s just a change I’ve noticed and I think it’s interesting.
I guess I’m stuck somewhere between wanting the peace and quiet of staying in, cooking, eating, blogging, etc. and wanting the laughter and silliness of friendship. Is that a good place to be stuck? Will I ever be un-stuck? Do I want to be un-stuck?
Now that I think about it, there’s a lot about me that’s changed recently…
· The whole introvert -> extrovert thing
· Stronger faith/passion for Christ
· Transition from a meat-loving athlete to plant-eating vegetarian fitness-freak
· Boost in curiosity – everything from journalism, to food, to people, to agriculture, to yoga, and the list goes on
Change is good, though. It’s necessary, exciting (sometimes), and strengthening.
There is one part about me, however, that has returned back to it’s normal state finally….
· My uncontrollable, bubbly, passionate, totally-not-serious-but-sometimes-really-serious, overall hungry personality.
I’m part of a bible study with girls who live near me on campus, and they’ve been one of the biggest blessings in my life so far. Without them, I honestly would have very few close friends here. And I wouldn’t have experienced as much laughter as I have in the past few months. We’ve been close for only about 2 or 3 months, but in that time we’ve shared testimonies, finished homework and studied for midterms, prayed about stresses and fears, stepped on each others’ toes while line dancing, and pigged-out on donuts at 11 at night.
So, I’ve come to the conclusion that the combination of Christ, family, community, friendship, and the right amount of alone time has brought me to this newfound state of gratitude, faith, and happiness and back to who I really am at the same time – in other words, to this place somewhere in between an introvert and an extrovert.
If I ever do decide to attempt to pick between those two personalities, I know I’ve got some seriously wonderful people to help me.
Life up here is pretty stinkin’ cool. While I’m excited to head back down to SoCal in about a month and reunite with old friends and spend time with my awesome family doing summer-break things, I know I’ll miss the many blessings God has given me at my second home, my SLOme.
