6 seasons, 121 episodes, 80+ hours, and my coup is complete. I have watched every episode of Gossip Girl in 16 weeks, finishing in time to watch the season six finale live on Monday night. Here’s a post to what I’ve loved and learned.

“you know you love me, xo xo”

Gossip Girl brought me a world I did not know existed. One of high fashion high school, outrageous parties, and enough disposable income to afford it all without a second thought. To live there means you walk the sidewalk like it is a runway. In any given episode, you are guaranteed a high society event or an over the top party. I marveled at the abundance of silk, sequins, and stilettos. Then again, even the high school uniforms became a pallet for inspiration, and Blair Waldorf inspired me to take headbands to heart.

From headbands to earbuds, no society event is complete without music. Watching the older seasons was like listening to my high school iPod. I smiled while remembering where I was when those songs were popular, and enjoyed the progression to the present. Of course, my favorite was Lady Gaga’s guest appearance to perform “Bad Romance” in Season 3 Episode 10.

But what would the fashion and music be without Serena, Dan, Blair, Chuck, Nate, and the many others? Collectively, they became part of my routine: What were they up to? Who were they seeing? Where were they going? What did Gossip Girl say about them? Like characters in novels, I was privy to their private worlds, and by degrees, I became invested in their futures. I celebrated their victories, empathized with their struggles, and groaned when they sabotaged each other again (Serena and Blair were particularly bad about this). I feel like the end of the show is the end of our friendship. They will be frozen in time while I continue on my journey. Certainly new shows will rise to take Gossip Girl’s time slot, but they will want to make new statements, and I question whether any will be as memorable as “xo xo.”

Yesterday marked the end of an era. One of frivolity and extravagance, but also of loyalty and friendship. Inane drama aside, the show offered some valuable lessons on growing up and finding our way: Blair and Serena always forgave each other, Nate found honesty in business and in family, Chuck discovered charity and unconditional love, and Dan made his dream of becoming an insider true. They will be missed. Thank goodness for Netflix.

Now a few tips on how to stay off (or get on) Gossip Girl’s radar. After all, “you’re nobody until you are talked about.”

1. Never leave sensitive personal information lying around. Never. Period. Personal information you should not leave in plain sight includes emails, gchats, text messages, pictures, partially written novels, and paternity tests. Someone will find it and publish it, or they will keep it close and use it as blackmail. Usually the thief is a person you trust such as a friend or family member because naturally you know better than to leave secrets unguarded when enemies are lurking. Unfortunately your trustworthy person recently found a reason to be angry with you, probably over something silly or that they don’t understand (see number 2), and is eager to exact revenge. So remember, every time you give someone keys to your office/apartment/car or you walk out of the room to take a call/check your makeup/try on a dress or one of a million variations on this theme, you are leaving those little secrets for the world to see. Think twice and always take your cell phone with you.

2. You never have the full story. Characters in Gossip Girl are constantly walking in at just the wrong moment or overhearing the single out-of-context line of dialogue. It is what the show thrives on. “You don’t trust me!” “I can’t believe you!” “Wait, I can explain!” If you find yourself in a situation like this, assume you do not have the whole story and save everyone (including yourself) the embarrassment of learning this later. Get the full story immediately. Know and trust your friends. Understand there are always complicating details. And follow number 1 to avoid the situation in the first place.

3. Tell the truth now and avoid the hassle later. So many of the scandalous situations on the Upper East Side could be avoided if characters just told the truth the first time (of course, the show would be dull if they did, but this is lessons learned, not how-to-write-a-hit-show). A deliberate omission or blatant lie often results in either heartbreak, forsaken friendship, or bodily harm, and sometimes a combination of the three. Even white lies have the power to destroy. Lies do not work because usually someone will leave something personal lying out (number 1) or they will fail to get the whole story (number 2), confront or sabotage you, and ultimately the truth you were trying to protect will be revealed.

“As for me? I’m right where I want to be, and I only want to be with you. xo xo”

With that farewell and those little lessons, I mark the conclusion of Gossip Girl. What next? Well I hear that Downton Abbey is causing quite the scandal.

xo xo, gossip girl

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For those not indoctrinated in the complex world of GG, a Gossip Girl blast is a text message that shares information of a scandalous nature often leading to “I can explain” moments and much embarrassment for those involved. The blast is typically delivered in a snarky, know-it-all tone with allusions to iconic cultural events and well-known narratives. A GG blast may include a photo and in rare instances, a video. These multi-media blasts are preferable because they corroborate the information presented and make explaining all the more difficult.