in my room: confessions of an introvert

Introvert and extrovert are two words people love to throw around nowadays. Most commonly, I see people labeling themselves as an "extroverted introvert", stating that they enjoy going to parties, but also are okay staying in and watching Netflix. While it is true that most people fall in between the two extremes of introvert and extrovert, I feel that people like to label themselves as a hybrid because they don't want to identify solely as an introvert. Introvert has a negative connotation, and conjures up images of a hermit with no friends. When you hear the word extrovert, a bubbly, life of the party, social butterfly comes to mind. However, these stereotypes are simply not true. I am definitely on the more introverted end of the spectrum, and I appreciate my alone time,  but that doesn't mean I don't like socializing. I often feel misunderstood by the people around me, so I decided to write a post about the most common misconceptions of introverts.
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we don't hate you
So many people have told me they thought I didn't like them the first time they met me, but that couldn't have been farther from the truth. Introverts just take a little bit longer to warm up to you.

alone time doesn't always mean staying home alone  
People always assume that introverts prefer to be home alone all the time. While there's nothing I love more then coming home to relax in bed after a long day out, on the weekends I love getting out of my apartment and exploring New York. However, I usually prefer to be out and about on my own. I would rather vintage shop, go to a museum, or grab brunch by myself. I consider these activities to be my alone time, even though I'm still surrounded by thousands of people around the city.

we prefer small groups vs big groups 
Introverts find small talk draining, so we would rather hang out in a smaller group and have meaningful conversation with a few people we really care about. If you have a friend who is an introvert, consider making plans with them one on one, rather than inviting them out in a large group setting.

I could go on, but these are just a few of the misconceptions about introverts. Being an introvert doesn't mean that we don't like being social. I hope that if you have a friend or family member that's an introvert this helps you better understand them. I also want to mention Madison from Minnie Muse Blog. She wrote a similar post about understanding introverts, which inspired me to write this post. You can check it out here if you want some additional reading:
http://www.minniemuseblog.com/2017/08/10-things-you-should-know-about.html 

What do you consider yourself, an introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between? 

Pajamas: c/o Emily and Fin 
https://emilyandfin.co.uk/shop/nightwear/phoebe-pyjama-scarlett-heart