Rory Gilmore: The flawed character I needed.

As I watch the leaves outside my office turn that beautiful yellow-orange hue, I almost want to say, "I smell snow" — but it's still too early for that. I spend the entire summer pinning for fall, just so I can pull on my oversized Taylor Swift sweatshirt, light a cinnamon candle to set the mood, and start yet another run of Gilmore Girls.

That said, fall isn’t the only time I return to my comfort show — I watch it anytime the real world feels too loud, and I need to escape to the little town of Stars Hollow.

I first discovered Gilmore Girls when I was 17, and now, more than a decade later, I still feel giddy when I hear that familiar opening track, “Where you lead, I will follow.” People in my life have changed, homes have changed, and — even my career has changed. But this show has stayed. It’s almost like a permanent character in my life, and I often wonder why that is.

Stars Hollow

The small town with its eccentric characters, set against a dreamy fall and winter backdrop, feels like absolute magic. Throughout my young adult life, I’ve chased the corporate girly dream and lived in big cities — places that, in my opinion, often lack personality. While those cities have taught me valuable lessons, they’ve also felt cold and lonely in their own way.

After the lockdown, I realised just how much I crave genuine connections and a quieter life in a town with a big personality. Stars Hollow reminded me of home — not because I have a Sookie or Miss Patty in my inner circle, but because I know people like them. They're part of the fabric of everyday life, and even from the fringes, they make it feel richer.

Lorelai's Gilmore and the Dragonfly Inn

If you don’t already know, it’s my dream to move to the mountains and run a BnB called Secret Gardens Homes.

Lorelai Gilmore comes from a world full of rules and expectations — a world she never quite fit into — and what she craved most was freedom. As an Indian girl with a more-than-complicated relationship with you-know-who, I deeply admire this character who walked away from a life that was scripted for her and built one entirely on her own terms.

It’s not just her wit I want — though that would be nice — it’s the quiet strength she had to create the life she deserved.

Rory Gilmore and "Why did you drop out of Yale"

There’s been a lot of chatter about Rory Gilmore being a problematic character — and while much of it might be true, I find myself feeling grateful for it.

Rory was always seen as the “perfect” girl destined for great things. But she made mistakes, doubted herself, and spiraled when Mitchum gave her that first harsh reality check. Her story wasn’t perfect — it was real. Her dropping out of Yale, stealing a boat, questioning everything she believed in — that’s actually my favorite plot line. Because, for the first time, I felt seen.

Don’t get me wrong — I wasn’t the golden child, and I definitely didn’t steal a boat. But as the elder daughter, I always carried this unspoken pressure to be perfect. And of course, the pressure I put on myself eventually caught up with me. In real life, it always does.

As a teen, I looked up to Lorelai and hated Rory’s choices. But as I grew older, I realized: Rory’s messy journey was exactly what I needed to feel okay about my own.

I guess I love this show because it feels like all versions of me — past, present, and who I hope to be. I’m grateful that on a random Thursday night, I stumbled into Stars Hollow — and found a little bit of home.