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NCSU | Career > Her20s

Live Life Like a Sitcom

Cate Murray Student Contributor, North Carolina State University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NCSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

For the past four years, no matter how crazy my life got, one thing stayed consistent: watching Friends. It’s safe to say I’m pretty much an expert on every blooper, unscripted moment, and iconic scene. There’s something so comforting about the show that always brings me back to it. During this time, I was also trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. As a pretty type A person, I had the perfect plan lined up: go to college, get a great job, and keep moving up. It took life getting crazy for me to realize that constantly chasing the next thing wasn’t bringing me happiness. The people around me were. I realized that I kept coming back to Friends because I want a life just like Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, Joey, and Ross. Friends is the lifestyle I want. I’ve entered a new area I like to call “Live Life Like a Sitcom”.

Now, what exactly does that phrase mean? The goal of this lifestyle isn’t to have the picture perfect TV life. It’s to build a life you love based on your relationships and experiences. If there’s one consistent aspect to every sitcom, it’s that no one’s life is perfect. Every episode has some sort of incident. Remember, the best memories are often made when things go wrong. Think about every funny life story you’ve ever told. I’ll bet most of them are from something going awry. What makes these hiccups worth it, though, is how your group of friends comes together to help. 

Even though the sitcom lifestyle isn’t by the book, I’ve created a list of “steps” to help you embrace this way of life.

  1. Surround yourself only with people who add to your life (bye bye toxicity)
  2. Side-quest whenever possible
  3. Embrace short hangouts (not everything has to be planned or expensive)
  4. Create traditions with your group (weekly movie night, home-cooked group dinner, morning walk, you get the picture)
  5. Welcome the bumps in the road knowing your group will help you get through it

There’s nothing particularly luxurious about this lifestyle, but a life of close relationships and memorable experiences will trump a boring life of luxury every time. 

Cate Murray

NCSU '30

Cate Murray is a first year writer for Her Campus at North Carolina State University. As a part of Her Campus she's looking forward to sharing stories that will help girls live life to the fullest. With a list of ideas ready to go, she plans on focusing on pop culture, adventures with the girls, and an overall adventurous mindset when it comes to college life.
She is currently working towards a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing. Additionally, she hopes to take this degree further and specialize in Digital Marketing. With experience in running numerous social media accounts for a variety of organizations, Cate hopes to continue growing her creative skills, and pursue a career involving digital content.
Anyone who knows Cate knows she loves a good sitcom. Her dream in life is to embrace the adventures of life with a group of best friends. Even more importantly, all of those side-quests will be done with an iced coffee in hand. Another major part of Cate's life is dance. It's been a part of her life for seventeen years with The Nutcracker being her favorite time of year. Long rehearsal days are amongst her favorite memories. All of these things together with Noah Kahan playing in the background will create her perfect day. She hopes these passions will continue to grow as she pursues a career in Digital Marketing after college.