As she's said herself, both in the season's first few episodes, as well as in related press, it's somehow easier to balance a high-profile career and low-key personality when she's operating on her own schedule, under her own terms. Being under contract to socialize on demand while the cameras are rolling is quite another thing. The twist is, while she appears visibly pained in many scenes to be doing so, she's not only providing representation for the queer community — a noted benefit of taking the gig in the first place — but for other introverts around the world who are watching her and thinking, "I see you, Lyons. I feel your pain."
As an introvert, I can easily put myself in Jenna's shoes, although I'd never be able to afford them. Having lived and worked in half a dozen cities, New York remains my favorite because it affords the unique ability to disappear in a crowd. Compared to other places I put in time — take Olympia, Washington for instance — benefits like more affordable housing and less crowded sidewalks don't outweigh introvert deterrents like tight-knit communities *shudder* and dealing with a smaller population, which often results in a greater chance of more people being all up in your business. In New York, you can fuel your social battery just by walking to the subway and then retreat back to your apartment building, cohabitated by neighbors you — in shared, peaceful agreement — have never met.
