It Helped me to travel Around Europe for 2 months solo in my early twenties.

Then i came back and Had enough Money left that i did it Ägain!

I don't regret a Single Penny i have ever spent on travel.

Wish i could Get into that mindset Ägain.
And After Europe, i Applied the Rest of my funds to Travel Agent School.
I could kick myself now. My Parents would have Helped Some, but i was fiercely Independent.

13 weeks: Scotland, England, France, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland.

Traveled alone. Forced myself to be social at Youth Hostels.

Skittles, I did all that including air fare for less than $2,000. I paid $3 to $5 a night for the hostels. Either breakfast was free at the hostel (you got coffee and a roll in exchange for sweeping the floor, etc.) or I'd make a peanut butter sandwich (I bought a loaf of bread and a jar.) I only paid for a modest, even spartan, dinner. I was carrying around water bottles in France before it became popular here. I simply didn't spend my money like an average 22 year old. I had to need something to justify the expense.

I had enough money at the end of my trip to buy a Jager suit which unfortunately for me I grew out of a long time ago.

Eat the big meal at lunch. Do what the locals do.

I have never, ever seen one constructive thing come out of a team meeting. It's always one sour introvert off in the corner who comes up with all the good stuff that actually works.

Where would today's GOP be otherwise, for starters.

Exactly.

I always thought that the greatest mistake bosses make is not taking into account where each individual employee falls on the introvert/extrovert scale. Introverts do their best work when usually left alone to do that work where as extroverts flourish in the team environment. Just recognizing that basic difference would allow both types to do their best. I understand that both types do have to occasionally cross the lines to accomplish some tasks but forcing introverts to thrive in an open space and team environment stifles them. However, too few bosses bother to get to know their employees much less to recognize how to get the best out of them. Pity.

don't bother pretending - not for anyone's sake. You are who you are, to deny that, to attempt to be someone else... is a recipe for pain, failure, disaster, and unhappiness.

It may be cliche to say just be you - but just be you. If it's not good enough for someone else, that's their problem, not yours. That's not to say that we don't benefit by having more exposure and some social activity and whatnot... - and introversion, particularly isolation, can be greatly overdone, especially as introverts tend to think far too deeply on their own. There is no reason though, to ever be ashamed for being an introvert.

taught ESL seven years in Asia