a gilmore girls giveaway | where you lead…

i first watched (binged) gilmore girls when i was student teaching in germany, exactly ten years ago this fall. with no car, no tv, no smartphone (very thankful for this!), i would watch episode after episode on my laptop in bed, often late at night, tucked up in our attic apartment on an army base thousands of miles from home. i found myself teaching independently for the first time (it’s crazy to look back to when teaching in front of a room full of kids was new and pretty scary!), working out, grading countless papers, lesson planning, and traveling almost every weekend. i was young, a little homesick, pretty dependent on other people, totally missing my boyfriend at the time, and was yearning every single day for christmas time with my family and friends… i was emotionally and physically exhausted. however, if i could go back, i would totally soak up the opportunity. my strong belief for simply ‘living in the moment’ was sadly, not yet completely instilled. i enjoyed my time abroad so much, yet often struggled at the same time. 

honestly, watching ‘gilmore girls’ seemed to help me feel less anxious and less worried, it really brightened those often hard days, far from home. it sounds pretty cliche, pretty cheesy… but it really was true. ‘gilmore girls’ taught me some things at the time… but so much more as the years went on. watching this show taught me to make sure you give your heart to the right person, to always follow your passion, life doesn’t always work out the way you planned (and that’s okay!), to always have a positive outlook, that we never know the impact we will have on someone, sometimes the best cure for a breakup is a good wallow, dreams take time, and most importantly at the time, that home is where the heart is. growing up in a very small town, much like stars hollow, i could relate to so much. news travels fast, people are always there for you, and little events and gestures mean a lot to others. 

+  always be open, communicate a lot, and be honest with one another – with lots of positive energy! 

+  coffee + poptarts can cure anything (and a good pizza delivery!) 

+  be true to who you are. always 

+  i hope they know that they can always come talk to me and i hope to be calm and open (or at least most of the time) 

favorite quotes: 

+ “we’re almost there and nowhere near it. all that matters is we’re going.”

+ ” i love you a thousand yellow daisies” 

+ “this thing we are doing here, you, me. i’m in. i am all in.” – luke danes

+  “gnome kicking says a lot about a man’s character.” – babette dell

+ “people can live a hundred years without really living for a minute.” 

sometimes we go through difficult times and sometimes we don’t realize the impact something like a tv show can have on us until much later on in life. the characters brought out a confidence in myself years down the road, convincing me that it’s completely necessary to live up to my full potential. rory taught me to be focused, that my ambition comes first. lorelei taught me that it’s okay to let yourself be sad every once in awhile. lane taught me to never apologize for who i am. emily taught me to love and to love entirely. ten years ago i wasn’t entirely sure who i was… but events, people, and experiences all helped shape my identity today. i truly believe that we all do our best to shape our identities in a way that brings out the best in us. these characters taught me this… and so much more.

no matter what comes into your life, stand up on your own. 

be proud of who you are. 

(just don’t get hit by a deer)

…

are you a fan? 

what did you love most?

giveaway dates: november 25 (midnight) to december 3 (midnight) 

*you must be 18 years or older and a u.s or canadian resident to enter* 

let me know if you have any questions and i hope you enjoy watching if you do

with lots of fun snacks, comfy clothes, people you love… and a cup of coffee (or course!) 

(maybe in this cute ‘hot stuff’ mug!)