Happy 15th Anniversary, Gilmore Girls! In honor of the special day, I’m going to reveal how Lorelai and Rory helped make me who I am– because who doesn’t shape their lives based on their favorite TV characters?

1. Coffee: Before I was actually allowed to drink coffee, I used to put iced tea in a coffee mug and pretend I was a Gilmore girl at Luke’s Diner. Now the thought (and smell) of coffee is the only thing that gets me out of bed.

2. Journalism: I decided I wanted to be a journalist because Rory Gilmore was a journalist. I can honestly say I would have never written for my high school newspaper if it wasn’t for Rory and Paris. (Turns out I want to be the next Giuliana Rancic instead of the next Christiane Amanpour, but hey, Rory liked entertainment news too).

3. Vocabulary: The plural of cul-de-sac is culs-de-sac, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t search for opportunities to tell people that. 

4. Wait for your Luke Danes: If he doesn’t make me a Santa burger, he isn’t worth it. Enough said.

5. Music: Whether it’s practicing my Dolly inspired “I Will Always Love You,” or pretending to be Belinda from the Bangles, Gilmore Girls has influenced my music choices. (Here’s looking to you, Carol King!)

6. Movies: I’m pretty sure I would have never watched old movies like His Girl Friday, The Way We Were and Casablanca if Lorelai and Rory did not mention them on the reg.

7. It’s OK to cry: The only way I can justify my mental breakdowns are remembering Rory and Lorelai lose it sometimes, too.

8. Treat yourself: Want Chinese food, Indian food, pizza and ice cream? Go for it. And don’t forget the pop-tart appetizer.

9. Pop culture references: I think my pop culture addiction was inevitable, but ever since the 3rd grade I’ve been looking for ways to casually name drop TV shows.

10. Snow: While everyone complains about cold weather and the snow, I love it. I take a walk through the first snow of the season a la Lorelai and could watch it for hours. (Confession: I even pretend I can “smell” snow like Lorelai).

11. Being close to your mom is cool: I’m lucky to have a pretty awesome mom, and GG made accepting instead of fighting that pretty cool.

I think this calls for a rewatch.