As part of the Myers Briggs Inventory, people learn where they get energy from and how they are able to recuperate or recharge. I personally fall right in-between the two, which can be confusing and challenging, but also rewarding. The rewards are that I am apt to being adaptable, handling change, and being slightly unpredictable. For example, when the pendulum is leaning toward the extroverted side, I can go out into the city to a gay club by myself and dance and talk to strangers. As a single man, with few single friends, or friends interested in going to the club, this ability to independently go out is highly advantageous, although not very successful in finding me a boyfriend. On the other side of the coin, I can be completely okay spending a significant time alone and on occaision really need that time in order to feel energized and ready to hang out with a group of friends.

The drawbacks can be that I start to spend too much time alone to the point where I do not want to go anywhere, do anything, or spend time with anyone, feeding into my depression. Or I am so desperate to go out to the club, or bar and just have fun, that I am reckless and make poor decisions. Thus I need balance, which I believe is why I am perfectly in-between this dichotomy. When there is balance, my overall well-being is healthier. In my present situation of being unemployed, single, and living at home, achieving that balance is particularly difficult and I am not sure how to fix it.

One time I went on a cruise to Bermuda for 7 days as part of my friends’ honeymoon. There we ten of us and myself and the two other single people were in a mini-suite together. It was the most wild vacation I have been on to date and consisted of drinking and being awake 20 hours a day and only sleeping 4. I am sure this sounds like an introverts nightmare, but I had a blast! Though in keeping with the theme of balance, I always carved out and hour or two of each day where I was alone in a hot tub, or my room, my balcony or a deck staring out into the ocean. Because even though that I was a time where the pendulum was at the extrovert extreme, I still needed that balance of being alone and finding peace in order to continue to be a crazy party animal. I also find the most peace being near the ocean, so a cruise ship/ island vacation, makes it really easy for me to recharge.