Brenna Without Borders

I found out this year that I am introverted.  I was laying on the floor, in the corner of my boyfriend’s bedroom.  He came in, looked at me and smiled. 

“I just need a minute”, I said. 

“Take your time.” He walked away. 

Later I apologized and said that I had been feeling very overwhelmed and that I didn’t know why.  He laughed and said “Brenna you are an introvert. You get your energy from being alone. We have been around people all week, it makes sense that you are drained.”

It was as if my head exploded.  No one had ever told me that I was introverted before.  I always assumed that since I loved people that I was extroverted. Additionally, I grew up in a home, where alone time was considered concerning and if we weren’t doing everything together something was wrong. 

I am the queen of group travel.  My family beach vacations had a total of 30 in one house. On my mission trip I traveled with 5 strangers to another country and lived in host homes for 6 months.  When I went to Ireland with one other friend, we stayed in hostels with 12 people in a room.  Spain, was a group young-adults trip, organized through a company called Intrepid. All of my travel was based around being with other people. 

Looking back now and realizing how introverted I am, explains so much for me.  It explains why so many vacations and trips have felt draining for me rather than life-giving.  There are several steps I would take to make my experience (and everyone’s traveling with me) a more pleasant experience overall. 

Pick your travel companions carefully  

As much as you love your friends, you might not want to spend an entire vacation with them.  Even if you could spend an entire week with them, you may not have the same travel styles or tastes (that’s a whole other blog post).  Pick someone who understands you need time to decompress, sit with your thoughts, and recharge daily.

Choose experiences you want to be a part of and those you would be okay with missing. My trip to Spain was called “Group travel for singles”, not necessarily romantically single, but rather this trip was for people who want to see the world but have no one to do it with.  These types of trips are perfect for introverts.  There is a loose itinerary, but you can plan your days as you please.  I was able to pick and choose which activities I felt like being with the group and which I would prefer to do alone. Even if you are traveling with a group of friends, make sure they are cool if you go out for breakfast on your own or hang back at the hotel while they go check out an art museum you weren’t really interested in. 

Book separate sleeping accommodations if you can afford it. 

Evenings are the most important time of day for me (an introvert) to unwind from my day and have some “me” time. This is no different when I travel. Having my own hotel room to come back to at the end of the day, is the perfect way to recharge. It also gives you and your travel companions some time apart, so you are excited and ready for the next adventure! 

Have a comforting activity to fall back on.

Often when I am away from home, I  feel more drained than usual; being surrounded by new, exciting places and people all day long can do that to an introvert. I Like to bring a journal, a good book, or put on headphones with my favorite music to be comforted and get back on track. 

While I’m mentioning it, Journal. 

Journaling helps me process and remember everything I did on my trips, so I can write about it of course. But journaling also helps me to process any frustrations or overwhelming feelings I may experience during the trip. Journaling is a great way to replay your day, process your emotions, and determine what you need before rejoining the group. 

Depending on what kind of trip you are going on, finding alone time could be difficult.  Know your limits, ask yourself what you need. Apply these tips to your next group traveling experience (sometime in the future) and I promise that your introverted soul will thank you.  You will get more out of your adventures when you give yourself the time you need, trust that!