One of my favorite feelings is when I find a character in a book or TV show who embodies a quality I have or value. I then hold these characters very close to my heart and  become obsessed with admire them and their fictional doings.Today, I’d like to share with you the characters I relate to the most and explain my connection.

1. Monica Geller (Friends) – Monica would be what some bloggers out there call my spirit animal. From the constant desire to always be right and the dire need for organization, I very proudly claim that I am a more low-key version of Monica. I also feel that I’m often the nurturer in my group of friends, as Monica was throughout the series. The Friends episode that portrays my similarity to her most accurately is Season One’s “TOW The Fake Monica”. Someone steals Mon’s credit card, but when she tracks down the culprit, she becomes friends with her and is fascinated by the fake Monica’s ability to embrace life so easily. By going on all of these adventures with Fake Monica, Monica realizes what she’s missing out on by acting so cautious. At the end of the episode, she takes on a new thing all by herself. I’ve always been that careful person who is a little hesitant to try new things, but as I’ve gotten older I’m proud to say that I’m a lot less restrained. Whenever that episode is on TV, it always sticks with me afterwards, and then I feel inspired by Monica’s decision.

2. Amy Pond (Doctor Who) – Amy is incredibly devout to this figure (the Doctor) she had one encounter with as a child and never fully accepts the idea that maybe he wasn’t real. As an adult, she has an immense amount of faith in the Doctor and all that he can do. I relate strongly to Amy because of this reliance on childhood icons/the way things were when I was younger. It’s hard for me to see another side of a person or thing that was so perfect to me as a kid, and I often believe that certain people can do no wrong. Like Amy, I feel cynical when something bad happens in a scenario that I thought was so perfect. Plus, to relate to Amy, I feel that a part of you has to understand the power of a child’s imagination, something that I like to believe I do. I’d like to say that I’m also a sassy Scottish redhead, but that part is sadly untrue.

3. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling) – I don’t think there’s any Harry Potter fan out there who doesn’t wish to be a little like Hermione. Like Hermione and many other girls out there, I was that bossy overachiever when I was younger and I turned to books for both comfort and a sort of hiding place. I hope and believe that, like Hermione, I grew up to be less insecure and overbearing, and learned that we should not feel ashamed about being smart or curious. Being smart is badass, and, as Hermione taught us in Deathly Hallows, this quality can help you survive when you’re experiencing your toughest times. Plus, I especially relate to Hermione not exactly fitting in with other girls at one point in her life and being a little self-conscious about her physical features. Details like that show us readers that female characters are just as imperfect and flawed as us, and I love it.

4. Mia Thermopolis (Princess Diaries series, by Meg Cabot) – I’ve also talked about this here, but I will say it again – Mia helped me shape my personality and told me it was okay to be the way I was. I’ve always been a little nerdy and more interested in entertainment and pop culture than most people I know are. Mia was also very devoted to pop culture and even made Top Ten lists in her journal multiple times. Looking back, I can see how many of my reactions to certain things were handled as she would handle them. I don’t really know whether she should be deemed relatable or influential in my life, but if I were to pick a book character whose personality is most like mine, I would probably go with Mia.

5. Dr. Elliot Reid (Scrubs) – We first meet Elliot when she is an insecure and zany perfectionist striving to do good when she starts out at Sacred Heart Hospital. The first season of Scrubs shows Elliot running into a lot of conflict that eventually lowers her spirits about this job she has idealized for so long. She is so concerned with doing exactly the right thing that she is blinded about what can get her through a bad day. Somewhere along the line, one of the more experienced doctors tells her, “You’d feel better if you didn’t care what other people think of you.” This encounter resonated with me so much – for years, I was always so embarrassed to be outspoken and crazy in public because of what people may think about me. My dad calls this the “spotlight effect”, when I think that everyone is paying attention to me. This is extremely ironic, as I don’t really like being the center of attention. While Elliot is far more neurotic than I am, I’ve started to learn from her and not care about what others may perceive about me.

Honorable Mention: Chandler Bing (Friends) – Yes, it’s true. I see bits of myself in both halves of the Mondler couple. I can be quite sarcastic, as Chandler is, although I’ve definitely toned down my sarcasm as time passed. And, quite frankly, the line, “I’m hopeless and awkward and desperate for love!” sums up moments of my life pretty perfectly.

What fictional characters do you relate to?