July Letter from the Editor

 

Jenn Granneman, founder of Introvert, Dear
Jenn Granneman, founder of Introvert, Dear

Hey everyone,

Has this ever happened to you? You’re rolling through life just fine, then BAM, something happens that reminds you of your introversion and/or highly sensitive nature. That’s what happened to me this week.

Let me explain. This Minnesota girl has flown the coop to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I’ll be living here for the next two months with my boyfriend. He’s taking a Spanish language class here (he travels in Latin America and wants to improve his Spanish), and as a teacher who has summers off, I went along for the ride.

Our selfie in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, after checking out some of Diego Rivera's murals
Our selfie in the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, after checking out Diego Rivera’s murals

Mexico is lovely. (Shout out to any of our Mexican readers!) Everyone I’ve met here has been great, and they’ve graciously suffered through my gringa Spanish.

But there’s a downside to all this fun and excitement: being in a new environment takes a toll on my sensitive system. The change in altitude, different food, and new sights and sounds are things I’m having to adjust to. Finding my way around the city, and solving simple problems like where can I buy yogurt, drain my mental energy. I want to be that person who embraces every street taco and glosses over minor inconveniences all in the name of adventure, but, let’s face it, I’m not. As with everything in life—as an introvert, a highly sensitive person, and an INFJ personality type—I’m cautious and I need plenty of time to adjust to change.

I'm parked at the downtown Starbucks, editing articles for Introvert, Dear. Just like in the U.S., Starbucks employees can't seem to get my name right. I love it.
I’m parked at the downtown Starbucks almost every day, editing articles for Introvert, Dear. Just like in the U.S., Starbucks employees can’t seem to get my name right. I love it.

The good news: we’ve been here for a week and a half, and I’m already starting to notice my body and brain settling down. Give me another week, and I’ll probably be completely adjusted. Another perk—my boyfriend and I know very few people here, so we get plenty of introvert time.

Side note: if anyone lives in or near San Miguel de Allende and would like to meet for coffee, email me at [email protected]. I’d love to meet you. We’ll have a nice calm chat, introvert style.

Anyway, in other news, our article themes for July are out. Because Introvert, Dear is a community for introverts and highly sensitive people, we feature your stories and insight. If you’d like to write for us, check out our themes and writer’s guidelines here.

Finally, I want to say thank you to our July Patreon sponsors. Our sponsors aren’t big corporations—they’re readers like you. With their support, we’ve been able to run monthly Facebook ads to reach more introverts and purchase some higher quality photos that reflect the diverse nature of our audience. You can see their names here.

Quietly yours,

Jenn's signature

 

 

P.S. If you’re wondering why there was no Letter from the Editor in June, I decided to skip last month so I could make subsequent Letters from the Editor come out at the beginning of the month, not the end of it. Thanks, Type A brain!