All Introverts Should Read This Book: ‘Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want To Come’ by Jessica Pan

This was my favourite book I’ve read so far this year!

Finding herself lonely in London, Jessica Pan, a self-proclaimed introvert, decides something needs to change. Despite recently getting married and living in one of the most vibrant cities in the world, Jessica found herself in a friendless vacuum when those she was close to in the city one-by-one moved away. And so she chronicled her adventures committing to one year of living as an extrovert.

She takes her new extroverted life to the extreme, taking on activities such as improvisational comedy, open mic stand-up performances, online ‘friend’ dating, and even every Londoner’s worst nightmare: talking to strangers on the tube.

Through the unique lens of a reluctant introvert-disguised-as-extrovert and with a warm and colloquial tone, Pan covers topics like how to enjoy going on holiday by yourself, how to find friends, how to grow genuine friendships, and how to have interesting conversations. Pan undertakes a personal journey to learn that the best things in life can come out of things that seem downright terrifying at first.

As an introvert myself, there was a lot in this book that I relate to. I love Pan’s openness and vulnerability, about her feelings of loneliness, shyness, social anxiety — all things that I’ve felt at points of my life. Any introverts among us will know its easy to turn down social events for an evening in with a book, easy to avoid things like public speaking or big group gatherings — and while that’s sometimes exactly what we need to recharge, we shouldn’t let the label of ‘introvert’ limit us in what we say ‘yes’ to. I’m excited to read more of Pan’s writing, and will be recommending this book to all of my introverted friends!