I don't think I've ever heard somebody articulate that bit about the importance of knowing all the right answers before. It's so true. Every time I go into a situation that involves dealing with people, apart from the handful I know well enough to really feel comfortable with, I have to have a whole branching customer-service phone-call script in my head. It can be as simple as ordering a cup of coffee or as complicated as telling my whole life story up to age 30, but it has to be there.

And I drove myself double-extra-crazy for years trying to take the advice of the "You should get out more!" people. Once or twice a year I'd drag myself to something I didn't really want to go to, have no fun, and spend weeks or months afterwards blaming myself for not having any fun.

(And, er, just 'cause I'm talking about it in the past tense doesn't mean it doesn't still go on. If anything, living overseas makes it worse.)