If it’s an online group, and I have the entire internet separating us - I’m fine

If it’s a gathering of actual people in real life - not so much. I once had to seek refuge in my garage during my own birthday party - it was way too peopley!

reading long-winded presentations is tiring.

Yup

Especially when they only pretend to be Atheists when they are zionists or have some other agenda and accuse me of bigotry/anti-semitism for opposing the conquest of Palestine....being anti-xian is NOT Atheism and merely trashing fundies is too easy when Atheism is all about science justice and ending religious violence

Not just that, but boring, too. I feel I have to put on a performance and look interested and behave nicely, when I really want to get away and be on my own. Even close friends and family are best in quite small doses.

I can enjoy being with one person but 3 is definitely a crowd.

If I don't know anyone I tend to be quiet. I have to go to professional development occassionally and will try to find common ground such as age to find a place to sit when I don't know anyone.

It depends. I'm finding that now that I work, I have less energy for the monthly meet up the local Freethinker group I'm in does. It's at a wine/coffee place on a Friday night and it gets full and loud and it doesn't take long (especially if I had just come there from work) before I have to leave. It wasn't that way before but it is now more so in the last almost two years which is when I started working full-time. Even going to school didn't do this to me. School also didn't drain me nearly as much, maybe because it stimulated me more intellectually. Work doesn't because I call people and schedule appointments. There isn't room for much more than small talk and people at work don't come over really and talk to me.

I've gone back and forth. I am starting college Monday and am both looking forward to and scared spitless of going. What really frightens me is the fact that the program I am in (AAS-IT) really pushes the whole team project thing.