Comfortable In My Own Company

I have been very introspective recently since my mom had some health issues and I moved her into a long-term-care facility.

I like to “ground” and meditate and realized that there are a few things about me that are contradictions:

I enjoy eating alone, but I’m not lonely.   A book or the pups can entertain me for hours.

I can spend an entire day at home without leaving the property, yet I love a good road trip and the adventure of traveling somewhere new.  Our recent drive from Albuquerque, NM to Lake City, CO had us in the desert, passing through pastureland and eventually up in the mountains with the Aspens blowing gently in the wind.

I’m social, but in small doses. Put me in a room with one or two people and I’m perfectly happy. Put me in a large crowd with lots of noise and my batteries start draining immediately.

Noise distracts me; maybe that’s why I’ve always appreciated quiet places.  A hike through the forest with only the birds and wind rustling through the leaves is calming and rejuvenating.  Bonus if we stumble upon deer!

Life is full of contradictions like that.  The older I get, the less interested I am in fitting neatly into a category. Introvert. Extrovert. Homebody. Traveler.  Maybe we’re allowed to be a little of everything.  Maybe we’re allowed to enjoy our own company and still enjoy the company of others.

I’ve found that the more comfortable I become with who I am, the less energy I spend trying to explain it.

And that’s a peaceful place to be.