That was my first thought. When I started watching the final season of Friends, I could feel the close coming closer. And I wasn’t thrilled.

The last couple of episodes were the hardest, and it didn’t help that they were also extremely funny. I had to literally cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing out loud; my mother was asleep nearby.

Yes, stayed up all night, watching Friends. Not just the nights, that’s how I spent my weekends and even this year’s friendship day.

And I’m not even sorry.

Because I liked it. I loved sitting alone, watching Friends, laughing my head off and scaring other people. I didn’t care, I didn’t have time to. I was too involved – and for the first time in a really long time, I was laughing heartily.

Not just the laughter, but also the thrill, the emotions. I felt myself changing as I watched the show. I started to laugh at my silliness more often. I could see the humor in awkwardness and embarrassment. And it was less painful.

I’m not one to get emotional over movies and drama, but Friends was an exception. Every passing minute of the last few episodes, there was a lump in my throat, something new weighing down heavily. When the climax neared, when all six of them left their keys to Monica’s apartment on the table – that’s when it really hit me. What am I going to do with my life now? It’s like my whole life had been leading to that moment, as if that was the driving force that kept me coming back for more – and now it was over. It was hard to accept. It was an unwelcome change.

And ever since the end, I can’t help reminiscing. The one obviously similarity favourite of the show: Joey Tribiany.

The one who doesn’t share food, makes it obvious and still is lovable.

I love Joey, but Chandler was a close contestant too. I’m a great fan of wit and sarcasm, and Chandler was the perfect embodiment of both. Plus, I could relate to his character in a lot of ways. The skepticism, cynicism, the uncertainty and most important, the fact that he didn’t know what he wanted to do with his life.

The whole show was easy to connect to. That’s probably why it was such a huge hit. But more than anything, the show made a lot of people yearn for such a life, such friends.

Everyone would’ve felt jealous of the Joey-Chandler friendship. Not to mention the special connection Joey had with Phoebe. I was surprisingly moved when Joey asked Phoebe to marry him, when he (falsely) thought she was pregnant. It wasn’t funny, it was heartfelt, and small incidents like this throughout the show showed us how deep Joey was. Not just him, Chandler too – how much he changed through the course of the show. And Rachel – from being a spoiled brat to a responsible?! mother.

Of all life lessons I took from the show, one important thing was that people can always surprise you. Even those you think are least likely to do something that moves you, they do. More times than we may anticipate.

You know what? I think I just figured what I could do now. Im going to Google for image quotes and laugh like a maniac, while others around me go berserk.