Yesterday, I finished reading Mindy Kaling's second book, "Why Not Me?" It was touching, hilarious, and made me want to sit down and craft a well thought out thank you to Mindy and the other incredible women in my life without whom I'd be lost.

1. My Best Friend

I'll start with a classic on my list of heroes -- the first person to sneak out with me, my co-star both in life and on our short-lived web show, and the closest thing I've ever had to a real sister-- my best friend. It's particularly difficult to describe someone that you know so well because, frankly, you just find yourself too close to the situation, but I'll give it a try. She's 22, has an a** that doesn't quit, knows how to rock a LOB (long bob), and has Manhattan eating out of the palm of her hand (at least the way I see it). Her life experience far outweighs mine, and often, I'm not really willing to admit it. Thank you for loaning me your favorite shirt even though you wanted to wear it, thank you for staying up all night with me when I need you most and thank you for being my voice of reason when I won't listen to anyone else.

2. My Roommate(s)

Having a roommate literally gives you a live-in pal that has to come in your room if they hear you screaming because you thought you saw a spider, but it was actually just a collection of hair and dust in the corner behind your futon.Thank you for not discouraging me when I joined the Outdoors Club when you knew I would never go, thank you for supporting me when I thought, for a second, that I wanted to be a political science major and thank you for not getting mad when I continuously asked to borrow your socks even though I kept saying, "Ugh, I just haven't made it to Target! It's the last time, I swear!"

3. My (Sorority) Sisters

Blah, blah, blah, sisterhood, blah, blah, blah. I'm not going to lie and say that I'm close with every person in my sorority, because I'm not. There are 70-something of us and I think that makes it literally impossible for me to share secret jokes and feel a sisterly bond to all of them. These women have such a wide range of hobbies and interests, and these differences make our friendships that much stronger. The sisters I'm closest to also happen to be women that are wildly different than I am. One of them is an international studies major and golfer and is probably the smartest person I know; another is an aspiring marine biologist who worked at the seal conservancy this summer and, a few weeks ago, saved a baby kitten that could literally fit in the palm of your hand when it was stuck under a brush pile; and the third is a crunchy, Teva-wearing environmentalist who can probably braid anyone's hair no matter the texture or length (that is real talent!). Thank you for letting me look through each and every one of your closets on Friday night before we go out, thank you for not making me feel bad when I order pizza twice in one week, and thank you for always being honest with me.

4. My Mom

I cannot begin to tell you the number of times that I've gotten into full-fledged screaming and crying blowouts with my mother. She is the most frustrating person in my life because she is smarter than me and I hate acknowledging that. I hate that she's 25 years older than me and has better hair and skin than I do, and I hate that her wardrobe is exceedingly more stylish than mine, and I've never once seen her leave the house looking less than adorable. My mother is genuinely sweet and wonderful. She's an elementary school teacher in inner-city Columbus, Ohio, and faces challenges that I'll never have to face simply because she's devoted her life to this line of work. Prior to this, she devoted her life to me and I am unbelievably grateful for this. Thank you for bringing my lunch to school when I forgot and letting me stay home sick even if you knew that I was faking. I love you.

5. My Celebrity Heroine

Everyone has a celeb role model. Mine happens to be the beautiful, intelligent, and incredibly funny Mindy Kaling. I do not know Mindy personally, despite my attempts and unanswered fan letters, but I feel like I do. I've read both of her books, spent a solid two hours YouTubing "Best Kelly Kapoor Moments" and "Mindy Kaling Funny" and seen every single episode of both "The Office" and "The Mindy Project." I love that she loves McDonald's and romantic comedies, I love that she hates when people spend more time asking her about her body type than her actual work, and I love that she writes all of these things down in her comedic memoirs. She is exactly the kind of woman that I want to be for reasons that differ from my girl-crush on January Jones. Thank you for being funny and beautiful and having more to talk about than your "guy of the moment."

I could triple this list if I had hours and hours to write, but I don't. There are too many women that I need to thank for simply being who they are. Take a moment and say thank you to the women in your life for giving advice when it's needed most, thank them for being brilliant and thank them for being there for you. Thanks, Mom, Mindy, and the rest of you. You never cease to amaze me.