Another introvert here. I'm a newbie to the REI scene but already dabbling around in it with one property to my name, and more to come of course. The older I get, the easier it is for me to open up, and I love having one-on-one conversations with people I know well. But put me in a group with people I don't know, and I clam up. I have to take people on my own time. Something that I'm sure has caused me to lose potential friends, but the friends who stick around are good enough for me. I'm one that takes years and years to fully trust... but when I reach that point when I'm all in, you're pretty much a friend for life.
I haven't yet faced a situation in RE that I've been overwhelmed with that I can think of, but it's still pretty early in the game for me. What has definitely helped me open up more has been traveling, for one. It pushes you way out of your comfort zone and puts you in contact with all sorts of people. Another has been attending meet-up groups... scary going in, but usually gratifying after since you've already established something in common from the get go.
Not sure I'm in the position to be giving advice, but I encourage you to push your boundaries. One last thing that helped me, incredibly, was getting a job at Starbucks (though any coffee shop would do ;) I was in the position where people wanted to make small talk. I learned to talk back... slowly, painfully, at first and then progressively better. Smiling helps more than you could possibly imagine!
Good luck... just get out there, tiger! :)
