Yeah, same for me. I played team sports until 18 or so all year but also found a great virtual friends playing MUDs and going on BBs and mailing lists centered around subjects that I was interested in. Really opened my eyes to a wider world. Then had a chance to strap on a backpack and go explore it. It's actually nice for an introvert - you can be of the world but still anonymous, engaging with other people when you want, withdrawing to read or re-energize when you don't.