Say what you want about the eight personalities that came to our screens twelve years ago in the hit show Jersey Shore, but I will always argue that they gave us the most chaotic and captivating reality TV show to date. 

One of the main things that instantly drew me into the Jersey Shore was that it took place twenty minutes away from my home. I never experienced a television show that was about the place I grew up in. When the show came out, I was thirteen-years-old and never experienced the party life that Seaside had to offer. Jersey Shore showed me a new side of Seaside that I never witnessed before. It was interesting to see a place I visited so many times but through the eyes of people who were twenty-one-years-old. The location may have been the first thing to draw me in, but the eight unfiltered castmates were the reason I watched the show religiously.

When I watch reality TV shows today, I can tell that they are all scripted. Even though I still love to watch it, I know that none of what is happening on-screen is a part of their actual lives. However, this was a different story when it came to Jersey Shore. The eight castmates that were selected were so unapologetically themselves; they brought us into a world of fist-pumping, bedazzled clothing, tanning, one-night stands, and they did not care what America thought of it. They were unscripted and unfiltered, giving us their true-raw selves, which is exactly what I want to see from reality TV. 

The show was a track wreck that I could not seem to take my eyes away from. Whether it was Snooki's famous "Where's the beach" line, the numerous girl-fights, or the never-ending Sam and Ron drama, every episode left me needing more. 

Even though the show came to an end when Snooki became pregnant with her first baby in 2012, I always hoped that the gang would get back together for a reunion. Nearly ten years later, my prayers were answered when Jersey Shore: Family Vacation was released. However, I quickly realized it would never be the same. They are all older with children and families of their own. We will never get to see them fist-pumping at Karma, throwing hands at each other, or hooking up with half of Seaside.

That is why I continue to watch the original Jersey Shore regularly. It is the show I go to when I need to laugh or get my fix of intense drama. I believe everyone has that one show they go back and watch a million times, and mine is and always will be Jersey Shore.