Absolutely nothing has made me happier recently than the RetroMTV morning re-runs of Laguna Beach. Laguna Beach is one of my all time FAVE TV shows, and has been since it first aired. My happiness, and obsession, then continued with the spin-off, “The Hills.” As I watch the Laguna Beach reruns this morning, I’m sitting here thinking about how much this show has shaped my life for my teenage years. Whether you realize it or not, LC, Kristin, and the rest of the gang really taught viewers a thing or two about growing up.

1. Friendship is one of the most important parts of growing up. Whether you have seen every episode or just one, one thing is true: drama follows the cast at all times. However, a main aspect of every plot twist and turned featured friendship. Your friends are the people who can always learn on whether you need some advice, you want to gossip, go shopping, and just talk about everything and anything with. And it’s not just your girls that are so important, your guy friends are going to help make you who you are just as much as your girls. You’ll end up finding out who you’re true friends are over the years, but friendship is forever.

2. Always be honest with your friends, no matter how hard it may be. If there is one thing Kristin manages to do in every episode, it’s to brutally say the truth, no matter how insensitive it may be. Who else can recount the many of times that Kristin told Jessica that Jason was cheating on her, even if it meant the two would start yelling? Even if it’s a little bit harsh, honesty is the best policy. Your friends, and yourself, will thank you later for it.

3. Be in touch with your emotions. The girls of Laguna Beach and The Hills have cried more times than I could ever even count. But, hey, that’s perfectly okay! If there is one thing I took away from the show, it’s that by crying, saying how you feel, and just letting it all out really can make you feel sooo much better. To be honest, Lauren Conrad taught me how to handle my emotions. Plus, some of the quotes she said through tears may be some of the best statements I’ve ever heard on television.
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4. No matter how cute a boy is, don’t loose sight of yourself Every single time you blinked, its seemed, there was boy drama on The Hills and Laguna Beach. One of my first television loves was Stephen Colletti, though he was such a jerk (to phrase it nicely) to Kristin (if you have seen the episode of what he yells at her after dancing on the bar, then you know exactly what I mean). Then, when LC’s birthday came rolling around and the two went to Mexico, you could start to see Stephen work his magic some more. There were so many boys on the show – especially a Mr. Justin Bobby – that would constantly stir up drama. At times, the girls would get distracted by their current crushes and that would never turn out well. Listen to your girls and remember to keep them as your number one, and your boy number two!

5. Drama happens – deal with it. While watching the show when I was younger, I always thought drama was just something that happened on Laguna Beach. However, watching the show later on in life, I realized how accurate all the drama, and the stress that came along with it, really is. No matter what stress was thrown in the cast’s face, they always seemed to make it work, deal with it in one way or another, and just continue to have some fun! Don’t let anything – even a breakup with Stephen Colletti – hold you back in life!

With only those 5 lessons, there are just so many more that I can think of to describe all the lessons that I have learned from Lauren and friends.

As you enjoy the rest of the episodes, see what your favorite members are up to thanks to this Buzzfeed post! Gnarly!