Even though I am an extrovert, I feel I have become a lone wolf over the past 3 to 4 years. During these past few years, I have explored what I wanted a life with a focus on my mental health to look like. I found comfort in being by myself, which was a stark contrast to how I once spent my time, always surrounded by people.
From once surrounding myself with people to being content by myself, my relationships obviously changed. As an extrovert, I thrive when I am around people but I became more selective of the connections that I sought. The fulfilling interactions that I chose came primarily from spending my time mostly with adults in the outdoors.
I very much miss gathering a couple times a month for evening walks and weekend hikes. Those few hours of connecting with familiar faces, new people, and of course being outside in the fresh air energized me. Restrictions on gatherings due to Covid have been loosened to include 5 people outside. I am hopeful that I can re-connect with people in the outdoors community.
I feel I have done fairly well with needing to keep my bubble small and not feeling too isolated because of it . This is partly because of the lone wolf inside of me. I am also fortunate to have a comfy home base and many privilege’s that allow me a connection to everything I need. All that said, the extroverted part of me needs meaningful and in-person connection and I look forward to the day that we can gather on the trail again.
Wild Woman Wisdom 