Dear friends,

There are things I really want you to understand about me. Things that maybe you don't really get but I will try to explain them for you. Even though were all in college and around the same age, I feel different sometimes. Some people confuse college with 4 years of drinking and partying instead of actually getting an education. Don't get me wrong, I've had me a fair share of nights out and I will probably have more in the future. But these memories in my life are only a few because of who I am.

I'm quiet, shy, and insecure but that doesn't mean I don't want to hang out with you. I want to ask you to get together but I get scared of rejection so it makes me nervous. Oh yeah, and I'm a total introvert. So, how some people can go out 3 nights in a row is mind boggling to me. Because after a night out I need at least a day to recharge my battery. Sometimes I actually feel drained after a night of drinking and being around so many people. I also want you to know that I wish I could go to a lot more get-togethers or campus events but work takes up a lot of my time. And without a good weekly income, I can't pay for the things in life that your parents might cover for you. It's really stressful trying to do well in 5 college classes while working two jobs but I don't have much of a choice. Not forgetting the extracurricular activities that I put a lot of time into. I didn't join clubs, greek life, and volunteer work because I want to overload myself but because I made a promise. A promise that I would get so involved in college because the evils in my life stopped me from doing that in

high school. And when I finally have free time, I am a student who is trying so damn hard to get her degree and make it to graduate school.

What I'm trying to get across to you is that there are a lot of factors playing in my life. So, please don't come to the conclusion that I mean to blow you off or that I don't like you. Because I need you and you are important too. Humans are social creatures we are nothing without human contact. And sometimes all you need is someone to ask you how you're doing with genuine interest. Or someone to try to understand and care about you. Or just someone to watch movies with you on the couch while eating buttery popcorn.

So to the people in my life that reach out to me in any way, thank you. Even if we don't have a close friendship, even if you ask me to hang out and I say no...It means a lot right now, actually, it means a lot all the time. Because having so many things going on in your life at once can be forgotten for a little by your kindness.

Love,

Your independent, introverted, busy-bee friend.