Lesson #20: Goodbyes Aren't the End

As this year draws to a close, I've been thinking a lot about what it's going to be like to say goodbye to State College for the summer. I go back and fourth between being excited to see my family and friends from home and sad to leave the friends that I have made here. Although we'll be back at school next August, the end of this year is a pretty significant goodbye. I feel like I've learned so much from this first year of college and the experiences that I've had here have definitely helped me to grow as a person. As I'm sitting here, writing the last post I'll ever write for this blog, it's really hitting me how close we are to saying goodbye. But this goodbye isn't the end for us; it's the beginning of the rest of our college careers and the adventures of adulthood that we have in front of us.

So of course, to illustrate my point that goodbyes aren't really the end, I'm going to talk about the series finale of Friends.

The last episode was a whirlwind of emotions, but it provided some much needed closure to an iconic television series. For example, it's in this last episode that we finally find out what happens with Ross and Rachel. 

So far in their relationship, Ross and Rachel have been together, broken up, gotten married in Las Vegas, and had a daughter named Emma. In the last episode, Rachel has already said her goodbyes to everyone as she is moving to Paris for her job. After she leaves for the airport to catch her flight, Ross realizes that he can't let her leave without telling her how he feels. Phoebe offers to drive him to the airport and the two race off to catch Rachel before she gets of the plane.

After a turn of events (involving going to the wrong airport and a damaged left phalange) they catch Rachel right as she's about to board, but when Ross asks her to stay with him, she tells him she can't and boards the plane. Later, when Ross gets home, he sees that he has a message from Rachel on his answering machine. She tells him that she loves him and decides that she wants to get off the plane, but the message cuts out in the middle of a fight between her and the flight attendant as she's trying to get off. Ross is left asking himself, "Did she get off the plane?" when the door opens.

The episode ends with the gang back together in Monica's now-empty apartment, as Monica and Chandler are moving to the suburbs to raise their two newborn babies. The friends cherish their last few moments together before saying goodbye, and Phoebe remarks that all six friends have lived in the apartment at one time or another. Ross claims that he hadn't, but Monica reminds him of the summer in college that he stayed there and "tried to make it as a dancer." Rachel asks if Monica and Chanler have some time before they have to go to their new house, and asks if they want to get coffee. Chandler replies with the infamous last line, "Where?" and the gang makes their way out of the apartment.

Even though the friends had to say goodbye to each other, it wasn't the end of their friendship by any means, it was the beginning of a new chapter of their lives. Goodbyes can be really hard, but sometimes things have to end in order for something even better to begin.

Media courtesy of (in order of appearance):

• A Story in Your Head
• Her.ie
• NBC via Netflix
• Rebloggy
• GIPHY
• The Reading Fangirl

Lesson #19: Stay Young at Heart

As we're getting older, we're also expected to start becoming more mature and grown-up. While I think it is important to start accepting the responsibilities in your life, I also think that it is just as important to remember to have fun. Staying young at heart is one of the best ways to achieve this; I believe that by choosing to do so, you keep a more positive outlook on life.

Many of the characters of Friends have also chosen to stay young at heart despite growing older. Here are some of my favorite examples of that:

1. The One With Rachel's Going Away Party

As Rachel is preparing to move to Paris for her job, Monica and Chandler are preparing to move out of the apartment and into their new home. Monica sends Ross to help Joey and Chandler pack up the guest bedroom where, upon entering, he finds the two of them having some fun with bubble wrap.

Monica walks in on them and demands to know what's going on, so Chandler tells her that they're taking a break. When she asks what exactly they are taking a break from, Chandler replies with "jumping on the bed."

2. The One Where Ross Moves In

When Ross loses the lease on his apartment, Joey and Chandler allow him to move in with them until he can find a new place. When he moves in, however, he brings all of his belongings with him in boxes, of which Joey promptly builds a fort. Later on in the episode, Chandler comes home to find Joey and Ross inside the fort, playing Cowboys and Indians.

3. The One With the Dollhouse

When Monica and Ross's Aunt Sylvia passes away, Monica inherits her dollhouse that she always wanted to play with as a child. Phoebe mentions to the gang that she never had a dollhouse to play with when she was a kid and so Monica tells her that she can play with hers. However, Monica quickly regrets this after deciding that she doesn't like the way that Phoebe plays with the dollhouse.

Phoebe, after realizing that she is "not welcome in the house of no imagination," decides to make her own dollhouse, equipped with a slide instead of stairs, a licorice room (where "you can eat all the furniture"), and an aroma room containing incense. Unfortunately, there is a fire which, according to Ross originated in the aroma room, and Phoebe's dollhouse burns down. Even worse yet, not everybody makes it out.

As you can see here, growing up doesn't mean that you have to stop being a kid. You can have just as much fun (if not more!) as an adult.

Media Courtesy of (in order of appearance):

• NBC via Netflix (gifs made using Giphy)
• grainnenewsie

Lesson #18: Your Sibling Is Your Best Friend

I have two little sisters who I am extremely blessed to have in my life. I can honestly say that they are two of my best friends in the world. We have always been there for each other through the highs and the lows and will continue to support each other with whatever life brings us. Being away from them this year has been, and I hate to admit this, a lot harder than I thought it would be. Because even though they can be extraordinarily frustrating to deal with sometimes, they are my sisters and I love them for better or for worse. I think that the bond between siblings is incredibly special because you really can't get rid of them. They know you better than anyone else and for many people, the relationship you have with your sibling(s) will be the longest relationship you have in your life.

So of course, for this life lesson I'd like to make the example of everyone's favorite sibling duo: Monica and Ross.

Monica and Ross definitely have their fair share of frustrations with each other, many of which come to a head during the 9th episode of the 6th season titled "The One Where Ross Got High." During the episode, Monica and Chandler plan to tell Monica's parents about their relationship but are hesitant because Jack and Judy don't like Chandler for some unknown reason. They soon learn, however, that the reason is because in college during spring break, Ross got high in his bedroom and when his parents caught him, he blamed it on Chandler. Monica insists that Ross tell them the truth, but he's reluctant to admit it was him.

When he refuses to come clean to his parents, Monica decides to tell them for him. And, well, some other truths decided to come out too. 

 

 

Despite their minor disagreements, Monica and Ross have a really strong (yet somewhat quirky) relationship. They have always been close with each other and as a result have many secrets and inside jokes between them. For example, Ross's way of giving Monica the finger that he made up to fool his parents.

There is also The Routine, which is a dance routine that Monica and Ross made up in middle school. According to Ross, it was so good that they got "honorable mention in the brother/sister dance category." When the siblings get invited to dance for Dick Clark's New Years Rockin' Eve, they decide to do The Routine in order to get the attention of the producer and be featured on the show. 

When it comes to TV brothers and sisters, there are few who can match up to Monica and Ross in terms of fights, pranks, and inside jokes. Throughout all of their antics, they really show the importance of having a good (even if somewhat dysfunctional) relationship with your sibling.

Media courtesy of (in order of appearance):

• It's Blast of the Past
• Head Over Feels
• Hardwood Paroxysm
• Giphy
• Shiraz In My Sippy Cup
• Pure Blood Paul