On the fence: An Introverts Journey
“On the fence: An introverts journey to the outdoors”
From a small age, I was typically considered introverted due to my love of electronics and 3D printing, however, after coming to the US and truly experiencing the outdoors, this love of the inside has changed. Most may not know, but I have an immense interest in the North American outdoors, everything from the vast pine forests of the East Coast to the extreme redwoods of California. During 2020 and 2021 I stayed at home due to lockdown and online classes, however, I somehow was able to squeeze out more time and effort to go out. This was… interesting. I was able to explore my passion for cars much more in the complex subway systems embedded underneath Beijing, explore parks, and even just bike around places.
Some background before I dive in, however. My projects, whether they be an AR headset, cat lasers or a 3D printer kept me happy. I loved them, they took away the pain I had in other parts of life and I was able to focus on something that made me feel like I had some self-worth. They kept me busy, and as a side effect of choosing electronics and 3D printing, kept me inside as well. I didn’t really want to leave my workspace or my home. I just wanted to stay and continue researching or building whatever project. I realized this was unhealthy after a while, I realized my posture was in complete chaos, my mental health was declining, grades fell to sea level then continued to fall… it was pretty bad. For most of my conscious life, I worked on these projects to avoid these problems, but they were biting back. I realized, that once I went down this route further, I would never be able to get out. I credit coming to the US for education as the catalyst for my current peak. A fresh start, with people I never knew before and a community I loved. But most importantly, it dragged me into the sport of Cross Country, Nordic skiing, and some intro to both Lacrosse and Kayaking. It really took me from the “I don’t want to go” attitude to the “c’mon I know it’s 4 pm but let’s just go!” attitude. There’s a certain magic intertwined with the outdoors and my curiosity. I feel like going outside more helped me gain a sense of exploration and physical health.
It also taught me good time management, I lay out a Trello board for homework, one for the day’s schedule, and an alarm to keep me on time. I carefully balance my time with personal projects and other academic and sports commitments. But this article is titled “On the Fence”, so why am I talking about being extroverted? It’s because I still manage to do what I love, my projects. Currently, I just finished up my Voron V0.1 3D printer, and I have finally ventured into serious electronics with a Wii portable. They still give me fun, and I sure still have a certain love for them. I will repeat this again, I am not an extrovert. I am just not. I have a love of the outdoors but I am still a complete noob to it. Mother nature sure does not make way for you. I am, most certainly, on the fence with this.
But I believe that it should be known to both extroverts and introverts that both worlds are great! You don’t need to be an extrovert or an introvert, you can be on the fence! I still love electronics and 3D printing even though I have an intense passion for Nordic and hiking. If you find a way to manage your time to make way for all, you will realize that it doesn’t matter which side you are on. Adaptation and patience are all you need to perform this balance. I was once in hatred of extroverted activity, but now I not only embrace it but I continue to be active in 3D printing communities and still create new, fresh projects again and again. So long as you embrace the natural ability to adapt, evolve and your own level of patience then you will be able to accomplish all the things you would have ever dreamed of. Adaptation and patience make people trust you, trust and connections make dreams happen, it makes you happier with social interaction. Patience allows you to listen and pay attention to the ones who open up and show you their failures so that you can learn from them and improve. These skills will help you open up new opportunities, it only takes your own open-mindedness and motivation to get there.
I hope this article helps you with that, as I have said time and time again, learn from my failures and improve upon the base I have set. Thanks for reading this, have a nice day~
