Introverts in tight spaces

People can use personality type and inventories as an excuse or a weapon (“I can’t do that. I’m an XXXX). I prefer to use them as a tool for understanding that allows me to grow. According to Myers Briggs I am an INFJ, a description I find generally fits well. For those of you wondering if I just used a four letter word to swear at you, do some google-research and decide if the description is accurate. Being an introvert by this definition means I am someone who gains energy in downtime and is worn out by too much people time.

Lookout…how to introvert on a crowded ship

Friends who know me well were surprised when I went to sea full time. Me, packed into a small space with lots of people and no escape?! For sure it was challenging, but I learnt to manage. The benefits of being at sea on a traditional sailing vessel far outweighed the seasickness and personal space challenges. Being on look-out allowed me to stare at the horizon for half an hour at a time and block out the rest of the world. We all respected that when someone was in their bunk with the curtain drawn, they were not to be disturbed. When I got home from sea I would take space for myself, and was thankful for housemates who understood and let me be.

Village work is also a challenge to introverts, as there is little escape in a village situation. People express their hospitality and care by not letting you become lonely and by keeping you safe wherever you go. Sometimes it feels like they crowd me in and stalk me to the toilet, but that is not their intention.

Four nets in a row, in the biggest room we stayed in.
The smallest was about half this size. (Photo: R.Drew)

On our recent trip to Gulf Province, we were four introverts travelling together and being housed in the one room. The psychological barrier provided by a mosquito net is amazing! In each place we stayed, we would survey our room and make a plan. All of us preferred to sleep along the grain of the floorboards, which sometimes made a very tight fit. We’d hang up our nets and come bedtime crawl into our individual caves. Sometimes we were packed so tightly that we almost had to synchronise rolling over in our sleep, yet the nets gave us a sense of personal space. Each in our own net cave, we could read, write, sleep and recharge. Once we managed to walk along the beach. In another place I could sit on the river bank and watch the sun set. These were the snippets of space that kept me going.

Introverting by a river

Returning to our base, we all took the time to catch up on the personal space we had not had for three weeks. I did a very good impression of a hermit for several days. Had the walkway to my backdoor been retractable like a gangway, I would have pulled it in to keep everyone else out. As I have no front door, this would have left me happily isolated in my castle. My big outing was to market, as the desire for fresh food (something else we had been missing out on) outweighed my desire to hide. I don’t think I snarled at anyone at market, but I felt like it.

Just as sailing was worth the challenges, so is translation and village work. While I may struggle to get enough personal space and have sufficient people energy to interact well, I am learning to manage my time and environment better. The rewards of good relationships and opportunities to connect, encourage, support and train people are worth it!