Social Comfort Level = Amount of Recharge Time

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I'm not sure if others experience this, but I have discovered that I have a kind of "tolerance" level pertaining to the amount of energy required in a social transaction. With some people, usually ones I have known for some time and with whom I am very comfortable, it takes little effort to socialize, is not particularly draining, and I find I require little recharge time. With people I don't know, or whom I feel I have to make a good impression, I find I run out of energy rather quickly, because my mind is far more focused, alert, and deliberate with every movement.

Also, the ability to recharge isn't just about being solitary for awhile - it's also affected by the level of comfort one feels in their surroundings. If I'm somewhere strange, or unfamiliar, if I'm unable to lower my acuity, I don't recharge well, or at all.

Do others have these varying levels with social interactions? I was drained the past week, but once back in familiar surroundings, the batteries recharged rather quickly. So, I'm just wondering if that's part of normal experience for others.

Definitely. I always need time to hibernate a bit, and putz about on my own to recharge. It's hard during the holidays, even though visits are only a few hours at a time. It takes most of January to get my equilibrium back.

absolutely, i am at the level where i can recharge amongst other people, almost as if i was NT, although that recharge is very slow and only works with certain people.
it might be born out of need, becouse i am too often unable to find a secluded spot to recharge in; in those situations, i visit a toilet cubicle to get rid of the worst anxiety trough some meditation, and then i will be able to, slowly, recharge with others around me (dont expect me to be social though, i only appear NT)

Took the words out of my mouth.

Do you all also find yourselves especially sensitive to being 'out of balance' after a bunch of stress? This is when I rely heavily on any familiar routine, sometimes I'm at a point where there are no familiar routines (my favorite show is over, I've come to a pause in my interest and no decided direction, lose some key tool to continue a routine like my car), etc. and it's especially nerve-racking. I'm glad there is still WP to browse these days like this.

My head just feels so foggy if it's been a stressful day. WP has definitely become a place to regroup, almost like a worry stone in my pocket . Socializing is rough, but dealing with unplanned schedule changes can throw me in a complete tizzy.

Being "drained" is not something that is always too apparent to me. I can't often tell if I'm having a certain incline of stress.

But I do notice a need to be alone in my own comfortable environment after say, a party or some kind of social gathering. It's how it's always been with me, but not something I generally notice.

this is definitely true for me. I'll probably be denying interaction as much as possible all week because I was extremely social for new years.

Most certainly!
Also, even when I am in familiar surroundings, if those surroundings are filled with a lot of stimuli then I will still get drained very quickly. I really need not only familiar places, but familiar places in an environment that I can handle - either set up by me, or chosen by me.
Certainly though, with regard to different people - those who I know well and who I get along well with - require less processing than those who are either new or who I don't gel with. As you say, there is a lot more that has to happen mentally in order to make those interactions happen, hence they are more draining.
For me, I even find just being near people drains me to an extent. Even my wonderful family, I need time away from them too. It is like I pick up on their energy, or maybe because my brain just constantly scans through the system when ANYone is around, checking, rechecking that I am doing the right things and haven't missed anything, since it doesn't come naturally to me no matter how well I know someone.
For the recharging part, I have come to understand that because our brains don't multitask very well, that there is almost like a backlog of information yet to be processed. By having downtime, it allows all of this to filter through and hence clear out our brains ready to tackle another thing. If I get TOO overloaded, I get really tired and have to sleep. I believe that in sleep our brains filter all the information we have accumulated and not processed yet more efficiently than when we are conscious.