I first watched "Gossip Girl" the summer before my senior year of high school. I was a little late to the party. I had just never truly understood the hype; it seemed like every other teenage drama. It was always on my list of shows to watch, don't get me wrong, but I just was not jumping at the chance to watch it over the hundreds of other shows and movies I wanted to check out. I felt this way until I watched the show for the very first time.
Not to be dramatic or anything, but it changed my life.
From the first minute of the very first episode, I was hooked. The well-dressed members of the Upper East Side and their scandalous relationships with one another pulled me in faster than I could have ever imagined. However, there was one character that attracted my attention more than any of the others, and it was none other than Blair Waldorf.
Blair was quite an acquired taste at first. I really did not like her for a while. She seemed to be selfish, stuck up and petty. As I sat and watched the six seasons, I watched her grow and evolve into the very person I desired to be. All of the qualities that made me wary of her turned into very respectable character traits. Blair became a self-respecting, confident and proud queen bee, or should I say, Queen B.
Now, I'm not usually the one to get sappy or become obsessed with fictional characters, but I guess I made Blair an exception. She became my role model going into senior year, and the show helped me to realize that it's OK to be a little selfish sometimes when it comes to achieving your goals. Blair also taught me to set my goals and standards as high as possible and to not settle for anything less. Even though B's life had seemed to be so perfect on the outside, she had been through a lot, which made her even more relatable. Like every other female, she struggled at times but always seemed to come out on top in one way or another.
Aside from Blair's hardships, she has so, so many successes. she conquered pretty much every goal she ever set, all while being the best-dressed woman in New York. Really though, where can I get some of those killer outfits? Blair was never trashy; she took pride in dressing classy and being sophisticated from day one, which made her the perfect fit to take over her mother's fashion label.
Blair was always the best friend to Serena, even when they were going through one of their huge fights. She always offered her unconditional support to S, no matter what she needed help with. This was obviously not always easy, especially with some of the things Blair learned about Serena over time, but that didn't matter, the two would always go the extra mile for one another, even in stilettos.
Blair's relationship with Chuck was a whole other story. They didn't exactly hit it off, and I never pictured them dating, let alone becoming husband and wife. Over time, the two saw how perfect for one another they could be, but they were mature enough to see that they needed to do some things for themselves first. I admired this so much. Not many couples are able to do what Chuck and Blair did, and I can say I'm definitely waiting for my own Chuck Bass.
Blair Waldorf had her fair share of highs and lows, triumphs and failures, and everything in between. This shaped her into the inspirational character she became by the end of season six, and I am so happy that I finally caved and pressed play that summer day. Thank you "Gossip Girl" and Blair Waldorf for showing me just the type of powerful female I want to be as I go into my own future and career.
"Well, here's my advice. Have a little faith... and if that doesn't work, a lot of mimosas." — Blair Waldorf
