I've always classified as an introvert. At the mention of the word "introvert", many people automatically jump to the conclusion that I'm shy – because all introverts are painfully shy, right?

Wrong.

I've never considered myself to be a shy person, at least, not to the extent that introverts are stereotyped as. Sure, I'm not a dazzling, outgoing girl, but I truly like meeting and getting to know new people.

I will admit though that I can be a quiet person. To be completely honest, I don't even notice it at times. I can recall, on many occasions, my friends asking me during a conversation, "Are you OK? You haven't said anything," to which I always reassure them that I'm fine. It's what introverts do best: active listening. We don't need to constantly talk to still feel engaged in the conversation at hand. To some people, that may sound a little weird (if so, you're probably an extrovert).

At the same time, there are some people that I will have full-fledged conversations with at 70 miles per hour. Like most introverts, I open up the most to my closest circle of friends. Small talk is not my forte but meaningful conversations, on the other hand, I absolutely live for. I think most introverts would agree that it takes a while for them to open up to people, but once they do, they can get a little loud and a lot crazy.

As an extroverted introvert, I like going out with my friends, dressing up for dances and cheering in the stands at sporting events (most of the time). I enjoy the fun and occasional rowdiness. What may be even more surprising to some people is the fact that I love public speaking. I've always enjoyed giving class presentations or delivering speeches.

But like all introverts, I highly value my alone time. The best way to describe it is that introverts have a social "battery". Some social events are more "draining" than others, and we introverts need time to find our inner social balance again. My introversion has long trumped any potential FOMO.

Introverts have received a bad rap for quite a while now. But ask yourself, what is so different about valuing time alone versus time with other people? It's a personal preference that doesn't dictate everything about a person. It doesn't have to mean that introverts are not confident, friendly, loving or loud.

If you're curious where you lie on the introversion-extroversion spectrum, you can take the Myers-Briggs type indicator test. This test provides an objective view of where your personality falls and matches you up with one of 16 different Myers-Briggs personality types.

So, where do you fall on the scale?