Introducing Myself

"Who am I?" The question of the century. My name is Emily Grassl, but who am I? I am a teenager finishing out my high school career. Adolescence, my current stage of development, is a search for identity; keeping that in mind, I will attempt to describe who I am at this point in my life -- my personality, role in life, and other interests.

A first impression might lead someone to believe that I'm quiet, shy, and a little awkward when in fact, my personality, aside from the awkward part, is much more complex. True, I'm shy when I meet people for the first time, but once I get to know you, quiet and shy don't fit in anywhere in my personality. Around my friends I am a little obnoxious, and I have been known to laugh at even the simplest jokes. Some people may find this annoying, but your personality can be influenced by your environment, and I grew up with two younger sisters.

Alexandra and Isabelle, my younger sisters, may be annoying most of the time, but we also have some pretty spectacular times together. My role as their big sister requires me to be both a mentor and a confidant. In other words, a know-it-all and a secret keeper. We are like our own mini society within our family. Each one of the three of us has a secret we wish to keep hidden from our parents, and as sisters we keep them safe from discovery. My parents are great, but what they don't know won't hurt them. My dad is extremely intelligent and now runs his own business; on the other hand, my mom is my best friend, and I can't help but get jealous when she forms special bonds with the autistic children she works with during the school year. As their daughter, I hope that one day I will be as successful as they are, and maybe one day become a parent myself. Having said this, my family isn't my only interest.

Music is a big part of my life. The radio is always turned up all the way in my car, my iPod is always in, and who doesn't sing in the shower? Also, I was a dancer up until a year ago; that wouldn't have been possible without music. When I'm not listening to music, I am probably either reading, hanging out with friends, or playing with my puppy Sherman. Unfortunately, I would never be able to do those three things at once; I would need to ignore my friends to read, and Sherman would probably eat my book. For this reason, I keep my favorite activities separate.

It appears as though at this point in my life, I am an obnoxious, family-oriented, busy-yet-organized teenage girl still on a journey towards finding myself. I know that eventually I would like to be a psychologist, but until then, I will embrace my adolescence and take my time discovering the type of person I want to be when and if I grow up.