I'm like you, or perhaps sometimes more like @islanderman, a 50-50 person. It depends. Not so much about having fun or not, but having to talk with people. Especially if they are completely new acquaintances, being with people takes more energy than gives. And if it's a small group of people and I know that I have to sometimes open my mouth and say something, even though I don't have anything to say or if I don't care to say anything, but I know I have to, just so that people don't think that I'm impolite or grumpy or something. Knowing that, that I have to also be prepared to small talk, drains my energy. But then again if someone else is doing the talking, then I can just listen as long as I want to, but still feel free to say something if I feel like it.
When I meet people who I know better, that takes my energy too, but also somehow recharges my batteries. But of course at certain point I always need to be alone in silence, in my own precious bubble.
Then again I am also an extrovert. I'm an introvert in an extroverts body. I have no problem talking to slightly larger crowds, following some sort of "a script" and entertain them. I love to entertain people and make them laugh. I am actually compulsive about that making people laugh part. I'm like Chandler in Friends. I feel uncomfortable if I can't make people laugh at least once. And that's terrible! Making people laugh or entertaining them, being a clown is super fun, but that takes a lot of my energy too.
And then there's dancing that is completely the opposite than what I just wrote. If I don't need to talk, I am fine dancing with anyone, anytime, anywhere. And that usually always only gives me more energy.
Weird, ha.
So yes. Usually I do get a social hangover. I stop talking or don't talk that much, my brain doesn't function that well and I forget words. Just normal Finnish words. And all the other languages too. I physically feel really exhausted and tired and can't smile that much. And then there's all the sitting. My body just can't handle that. So what it must look like is that I am angry at someone and that I'm trying not to fart. :D
This is why we have Taraz on meetups, let him do the talking and fill in whenever you feel like having something to say :D
Thank goodness this meet wasn't early in the morning. I'm a morning person but then again there's a limit. If someone is talking lots and lots before my brain has woken up, I might not answer at all. And I might not listen either. Or I might answer without listening what was talked about. With one word sentences.
New people, speaking English and having a long day of your own comfort zone (home) is so draining, even if having a lot of fun. I did notice that you are a very good listener, and I don't think you looked grumpy at all when just silently paying attention to what other people, Taraz mainly, we're saying. I think it's a great skill to have and it's something I am trying to learn.
Speaking to a bigger crowd is my nightmare and I avoid it at all cost, but I like to talk a lot with a smaller group and like you said too, entertain.
I can relate to you on the dancing part, it's a completely different world! Every time I go to a bar, I really really want to go dancing and I can do it all night long and not feel so drained as I would if I just have to sit and talk. Really weird.
Or my brain had checked out. :D
Excellent. I've worked on that.
Mine too. Was. For a long time. But then I forced myself to do that over and over again because I knew that I would also love it after I've gotten used to it. But sometimes when I'm in front of a crowd, I suddenly notice for some reason the the extrovert part of me bails out and the introvert in me is left all alone and when it's time to talk, I stutter, some words come out of my mouth in random order and I have no idea what I'm talking about. I hear the words that I've said with few seconds delay and I start to think that people must think that I'm on drugs and start to laugh because of that. Hilarious, sad and very confusing at the same time.
When there's no energy for talking it's time for tequila and dancing.