mexicoA few weeks ago, my husband Jim and I went to Guanajuato, Mexico to meet up with a couple we are friends with. They currently live in Mexico.

I normally would be uncomfortable “vacationing” with other people, but I’m pretty comfortable with these folks.

One afternoon, after we had exhausted all the normal tourist activities, we settled in at an outdoor bar on the main square and commenced drinking. We were having a grand time, just people watching, talking, and laughing.

Then, our Airbnb host happened to walk by so we called her over. She told us about a place nearby with cheap flavored mezcal shots. So we went to that place and had some tasty shots. Day drinking is fun! Woohoo!

We started talking to another couple at the otherwise-empty bar. They were from Mexico City. We ended up spending the rest of the day hanging out with them, too.

From that bar, we went to a restaurant for food. By this point, I could feel myself starting to wear down. It had been several hours now that we’d been laughing and having fun, but it was no longer effortless for me; it was becoming difficult to keep up the same level of friendliness. I was worn out.

Our plans for that evening were to go on a nighttime tour–basically a giant party of people walking and singing around the city. So, that meant I still had to make it through many more hours of merrymaking.

Here comes the part of my story that matters! After that dinner, I told my husband that I wanted to go back to our Airbnb, alone, until the nighttime tour. I told him that I was worn out and needed to recharge before the tour–maybe take a nap. Since he knows how I am, he totally understood. He knew it wasn’t an insult to him or our friends, and he knew that I’d be much better company later if I took a break now.

Also–I knew my fun had peaked. I had a great time that day, but now I was coming down. It was just too much time with heightened emotions of fun.

Being a highly sensitive introvert doesn’t mean we don’t like to hang out with people. It doesn’t mean we don’t like to “party”. But it might mean that we wear out faster or need a break.

To put a positive spin on it, I prefer to say that I “burn hotter” than other people. What I mean is–my energy is like a flame that burns more intensely, and therefore runs out faster than other people’s. (Sounds better than just saying “I’m worn out”, doesn’t it?)

I didn’t feel bad about taking a break from my friends–in fact, I was happy to have the opportunity. I simply told the group I needed a break/nap before the tour. They continued on without me. If anyone thought I was strange, so be it.

Then I walked back to the Airbnb (which was fortunately only 10 minutes away). It worked out perfectly.

I was so excited to have some quiet time alone. I changed my clothes, brushed my teeth, and took a short nap and met up with everyone a couple hours later. I felt refreshed and didn’t have FOMO.

The moral of this story is how to survive on vacation with other people: take breaks! And don’t feel bad about it. It’s better for you AND your friends.

 

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