Once upon a time, I was in music school, and I was the happiest girl in the world, laughing constantly and running around. People said to me "I wouldn't want to live in your dorm!"
No one knew where I lived. In fact, I once startled the heck out of someone while coming out of my room because she (and others) thought that no one lived there.
This past Monday night during a staff retreat, my superintendent commented about my endless supply of energy. I told him that once I hit the pillow I'm asleep. After dinner I went to the pool and hung out with a colleague who's pretty quiet and even went into the hot tub (not my thing but it was still fun with her!). After a while, though, I was done. I needed my shower and my Kreuzworträtsel (crossword puzzles -- I just like the German term) and quiet and my sleep. I think it was early, but it had been a REALLY intense day. My "endless energy" lasts about 8-10 hours and then i get... done. I've actually cried from overload.
I mentioned the terror I feel when walking into a room for strangers to a friend who has gotten to know me only recently, and he said, "I'm an introvert too."
Didn't wanna tell him that normally I'm assumed to be an extrovert.
But here's what made me rethink:
Any time we were given the choice for group or individual work in school, I chose individual.
My favorite time of the school day was silent reading time.
Walking into a room full of strangers without someone familiar there terrifies me.
Making any kind of phone call unless it's to a very trusted person also terrifies me. I'll do everything I can to either use Internet or go in person to avoid the phone call.
I NEED my alone time. NEED. Get almost sick if I don't have it. I remember being in a more social dorm and HATING it most of the time. Once I got my own room I was fine, but having a roommate was an insurmountable concept to me. I could tell the summer-grad-school-story, but in short I basically went to Resident Affairs and whined until I got a single room. Because I needed it.
So I went back to Meyers-Briggs and answered every single question absolutely honestly, not the way I hope people perceive me to be.
Boom. Introvert.
And now I'm proud of that. I'm glad that I can enjoy my alone time and still be able to act the active and energetic teacher part but still need my alone time and not have people think I'm weird.
No one believed me; I didn't even believe myself until that friend said that simple sentence:
I'm an introvert too.