Moving abroad alone can be scary AF and is even more challenging if you’re an introvert. In this episode we talk about the struggles we faced with building a new social circle as introverts. We share what being an introvert means to us, when we found out we’re introverted, how we balance social activities and alone time and what we do to recharge.
Also we talk about the misconceptions around the term ‘introvert’ and the positive and beautiful sides of being an introvert. Last but not least we have some advice for fellow introverts that are struggling with self-acceptance. If you’re also an introvert and/or if you’re thinking about moving abroad, this is your episode!!!
Enjoy listening and don’t forget to follow us on your favorite podcast app (we’re on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts & Podimo) and subscribe to our channel on YouTube – we have video episodes as well!
With love, April Betts & Anna Jirina.
About From Lisbon With Love
Welcome to From Lisbon With Love! A podcast about real stories of love, laughter, and life in Lisbon — from women who have left it all behind. We share real stories about moving to Lisbon, starting over and figuring life out along the way. We talk love, dating, friendships, breakups, healing, growing, all of it. Basically, the stuff we usually talk about over coffee ☕️ or vinho 🍷. If you’re thinking about moving abroad, already here or just love honest conversations with heart: you’re in the right place! Learn more about our story here.
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The challenge of moving abroad as an introvert
Moving to a foreign country where you don’t know anyone is already challenging and scary AF, no matter your age, life experience and when you’re from. When you’re an introverted soul, like us, moving abroad alone can be even more overwhelming. As an introvert, you’re more likely to spend a lot of time alone. Not only because you really enjoy your alone time, but you also really need it to recharge. Also, a lot of introverts have a limited social battery, which can be a struggle if you want to build friendships in a new place.
It’s important to recognize that not all introverts have the same traits. There’s also a lot of people that have introvert and extrovert traits, as we discuss in this episode.
Moving abroad as an introvert: how we did it
As an introvert, it’s very important to get to know your limits, so you can set boundaries to protect your energy. That’s something that we’re very aware of, that really helped us in the journey of moving abroad alone and building a new social circle. It’s such a cliche, but really it’s all about finding a good balance that works for you.
We love to socialize and when we’re around friends and new people, we can be very extraverted – that’s also why a lot of people would consider us extroverts. It’s so funny how people can perceive you differently, purely based on that specific moment (but they don’t know that your social battery is completely empty the next day). This is also something we dive deeper into in the episode.
Do you want to hear all about our experience with moving abroad alone as an introvert and the challenges we had to face? Listen our episode on your favorite podcast app (we’re on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts and Podimo) or use the audio player above.
