What does it mean to a twenty-two-year-old, self-proclaimed feminist that the new Star Wars protagonist is a headstrong, independent woman? I could think of what it means to a lot of people. For myself, I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic about this new movie, but not for the obvious reason.

My dad instilled a love for the Star Wars in me at the age of seven, despite my mom’s insistence that it was too violent for a little girl. I remember crawling into his big leather armchair and squeezing into the spot he left for me to watch another episode. I had the biggest crush on Han Solo, and I wished that my hair could look like princess Leia’s when I went to school. My brother had all the Star Wars action figures, but I had plenty of Barbie dolls worthy of Jedi status. I saw the prequels with bated breath, and my crush for Han Solo turned into one for Anakin Skywalker.

But times change. I grew up and forgot about my entire collection of Jedi warrior Barbie dolls. Over time, I couldn’t fit in the crevice of my dad’s armchair and became less of a daddy’s girl and more of an independent teenager. I still loved Star Wars, but it faded into the background, and I turned into a whiny adolescent with a bad haircut.

Years later, I found myself sitting at my job in my senior year of my undergrad when my boss offers me tickets to see Star Wars in 3D. I took them even though they were in Austin, Texas. That and I would have to wake up early to drive and see the showing at nine in the morning. My boss gave me two tickets and told me to go with someone special. I could ask somebody I liked, a friend, maybe a coworker if I felt inclined, but I didn’t.

Instead, I decided to invite my dad. I called him after I got off work, and he asked me if I was sure I wanted to give him the extra ticket, and I reassured him that I did. Over the following weeks, he went out and bought the Blu-ray sets and watched the series all over again while I finished finals. I came home to spirited debates over what the next movie would be about, several funny Star Wars videos, and a brand new shirt that I planned to wear on the day of the premiere. Then at five in the morning, my dad and I drove from San Antonio to Austin and made it an hour before the showing. For the first time in a long time, my dad and I went out and did something together, not because we felt obligated as a family but because we wanted to spend time together.

As we walked out of the movie theater, I asked my dad how he liked the movie, and he said that he loved it. He especially liked Rey because she reminded so much of me and who I had become. I enjoyed the movie for all the obvious reasons, but what I loved most was that it reminded me of nights spent in the crook of an armchair with my dad.