“I thought these two were going to be real twins.” Yes, those were the first words out of my grandfather’s mouth the day my sister, Amelia, and I were born. Despite his words, Amelia and I are actual twins – just not identical.

The moment people learn that I have a twin sister; everything previously discussed is disregarded. My individuality is forgotten and I am suddenly known as just one of the “twins”. Most of the time, people expect the two of us to suddenly act alike. Yet, personality-wise, we are on opposite sides of the spectrum. We both juggle schoolwork, a job, and extracurricular activities; but the similarities stop there.

I am logical and serious, while my sister has always been dramatic and energetic. I defy the continual demands and deadlines of everyday life with organized and meticulous to-do lists. Amelia is a classic slob. Even though both my sister and I are musical – we express it in different ways. Amelia has experience in an honors choir, but I can’t carry a tune to save my life. Instead, I use singing as a way to unwind and relax as I’m commuting from one activity to the next. When I'm driving, I turn up my radio to sing along with all the lyrics embarrassingly loud and off-key.

Despite being a fraternal twin, with the benefit of having my own face, I often couldn’t be distinguished from my sister. When we entered high school, I made a conscious effort to choose separate classes and dress differently. This allowed me the opportunity to become more of an individual. I discovered a love for history – which isn’t just about dates and places to memorize, but about motivations, decisions, and consequences. Amelia excelled at the sciences and was always there to help me out if needed.

Today, we don’t have the same set of friends or interests. We both became independent from each other in high school, yet stayed close anyway. Amelia is my confidant, my friend, and my own personal cheerleader. Whenever I got a bad test grade, she taught me that it wasn’t the end of the world and not to give up. There’s always a second chance to get it right. Amelia’s had a big influence in shaping me into the enthusiastic and tenacious person that I am. In retrospect, I realize what really defines me aren’t our contrasting type A and type B personalities, but how she has impacted me.