Is it normal to wonder how people cope being lonely?

I'm not lonely now, but I once went several months without having a real conversation with anyone. I had moved to a new town and didn't know a soul, and I didn't have a job either. Those were rough times. I craved a hug like nobody's business. I tried not to call my old friends all the time because I was respectful of the fact that they had a life, even though I didn't. I tried to occupy my time as much as possible with activities and trips to the library. I did a lot of thinking about how I wanted any future friendships to grow because I always believed that my situation would get better, eventually.