When Gossip Girl first appeared on our television screens I definitely didn't understand it's appeal. I watched the first episode and was not that impressed. Then my sophomore year of college I decided to try watching it again and thanks to Netflix I was able to watch all six seasons and I can easily say that I became addicted. I wished that I lived on the Upper East Side and could eat macarons all day and buy the high end fashion pieces that Blair and Serena wore in each episode. I am definitely that girl who watched each episode multiple times and envied their lives.

However, the more that I watched each episode, the more I learned important life advice from each of the characters. They were so much more than preppy trust fund kids who partied all of the time. They lived with some dark secrets and struggled to get through life and they showed me that no matter what happens, in the end you can come out on top. So here is everything I learned from each character of Gossip Girl.

1. Blair Waldorf

I obviously had to start out with Queen B because she taught me the most and definitely helped me become the person that I am today. What I love about her is that she never settles, she never gave up, and she never put up with people treating her badly. She always knew exactly what she wanted and would never stop until she had it, Like when she wanted Chuck she never once gave up on him. And she would never settle for anything less than what she wanted. She was such a strong woman and would never let anyone treat her wrong and well if you crossed Blair then you were in trouble. Another thing I loved about her is that she was always loyal to the people closest to her and would do anything to help them. Overall she taught me how to be a strong and powerful woman and to never give up on my dreams.

2. Serena van der Woodsen

Serena went through a lot during all six seasons of Gossip Girl and I felt for her. The thing is though, no matter what she went through, she always came out on top. Every time there was a rumor about her or something happened, she was able to get through it all and it made her a stronger person who eventually stopped letting what other people said about her, get to her. She definitely taught me not to care about what others think about you and to live your life and have fun. Like Blair, she was always very loyal to the people she cared about which is a very important attribute to have in life.

3. Chuck Bass

In my opinion, I believe that Chuck Bass had the biggest transformation throughout the season in looks and in life. When we first met him he was a playboy who didn't care about who he hurt and only wanted success for himself. As the seasons played out we began to see the softer side of Chuck who began to love and put others before him like the numerous times he put Blair's happiness before his own. He showed me that you can always turn your life around and that you should never judge anyone on appearances like many people did with him during the show. He acted the way he did for certain reasons that not many people knew and people were constantly making assumptions about him when he was really just misunderstood a lot of the time

4. Nate Archibald

Nate was one of those characters that you would always love no matter what they did. He treated Blair pretty badly in the beginning but you understood because he was under so much pressure from his family. That kind of became his story line throughout the show. He was always trying to impress his family and be the perfect son. Eventually though he realized that he wasn't living his life but the life his family wanted him to live and he became strong and became independent. Whether it was when his family was broke and he had to take care of himself or when he became head of the Spectator, he showed that he could do things without the help of his family which I admired a lot about him. I relied on my family for so much as a child and even when I grew older that I didn't really know how to be independent and Nate gave me the inspiration to break off and depend on myself.

5. Dan Humphrey

To be honest Dan was not one of my favorite characters but he did teach me a few things to do and not to do. He taught me to always do what you love and go after your dreams but do not throw the people you love under a bus to do so. I loved that he was published and at such a young age but the way he treated his friends and family throughout it all left a bad taste in my mouth. However one thing he did that I loved and learned from was that he never gave up on the people that he cared about. Even when Blair treated him horribly and called him names, he would do anything for her and was a good friend to her and to Nate when his family was broke.

6. The Parents

Surprisingly enough, the kids were not the only ones who taught me important life tips and advice. One day in the future when I have kids I will definitely be putting some of what they did and said to good use. The one thing that really stood out to me is most of the time their kids did things that they didn't approve of or were in trouble a lot and yet they loved them anyway. I think that is really important because they easily could have lashed out but they supported them no matter what they did and that made the kids have trust and faith in that they would always be able to count on their parents and that's the kind of relationship I want with my children someday.

7. The Non-Judging Breakfast Club

Okay when they called themselves the non-judging breakfast club I fell in love and instantly dubbed my own friend group the same name (which confused them a lot but they went with it). However, I fell even more in love with how they were with each other. They always had each other's backs and would go to war at any time for any of them. If anyone in the group was hurt or in trouble, the others would stop what they were doing and run to help. Even when they were fighting or going though problems, nothing ever stopped them from being incredible friends and helping each other out and I think that'll always stick with me when it comes to my friends. I always want them to know that they can count on me no matter what

All of these lessons are something that I will always keep in my head and my heart because they helped me realize more about myself and become the person I am today. I may not live in the Upper East Side but I can at least be a strong woman, a person who doesn't care what others think, a person that can come back from anything, someone who depends on herself, someone who chases their dreams, someone who loves unconditionally, and someone who is always there for her friends. I highly suggest watching the show if you haven't already and learning from and loving these characters as much as I did and still do.