Celebrity Celebrity Deaths Celebrity Death Tributes 'Grey's Anatomy' Celebrates 19 Seasons of Meredith Grey in Emotional Tribute amid Her Farewell to Seattle The emotional Grey's Anatomy tribute showcases iconic scenes, memorable lines and tear-jerking moments from Ellen Pompeo's 19 seasons on the show By Christina Dugan Ramirez Christina Dugan Ramirez Christina Dugan Ramirez is a former writer and reporter at PEOPLE. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 16, 2023 12:00PM EST Grey's Anatomy is taking a trip down memory lane as Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) prepares to bid farewell to Seattle and move to Boston with her family. In a video shared exclusively with PEOPLE, the ABC medical drama celebrates 19 seasons of Meredith with iconic scenes, memorable lines and tear-jerking moments. The clips begins with a young Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) confronting the interns in the very first episode of Grey's in 2005. "This is your starting line. This is your arena. Today, you are the doctor," he says in the clip, before panning to an eager Meredith, who was an intern at the time. FRANK OCKENFELS/ABC Chandra Wilson Says Ellen Pompeo's Presence on Grey's Anatomy Will 'Ebb and Flow' Despite Limited Role "I have a lot of memories of people," Meredith says in the clip before showing flashbacks of her introduction to eventual-husband Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey) after their steamy hookup the night before and an emotional moment with best friend and former Grey Sloan doctor, Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh). "This is the place I fell in love," she continues, as the clip shows Meredith's famous lines to Derek, where she told him, "Pick me. Choose me. Love me." "The place where I found my family," Meredith continues. "This is where I learned to be a doctor." "You are the one who taught me everything I know," Meredith says to Webber in a flashback scene. ABC Harry Shum Jr. Says Seeing Ellen Pompeo Leave Grey's Anatomy Was 'Like Watching History Being Made' "I've saved lives and I've had my life saved," she says as the clip flashbacks to her almost drowning in season 3 and almost being killed by a bomb in season 2. "I've been through broken bones and a broken home and the death of people I love. And as one chapter closes, a new one opens." As the clip showcases Grey Sloan Memorial's newest residents, Meredith says: "I see something in them. A spark. A drive. A genius." "And this is the place I will forever call home," she concludes, as the clip shows all of Grey Sloan Memorial toasting and bidding her farewell. "You know, I'll probably be here next week," Meredith jokingly tells her colleagues. Todd Williamson/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Before the winter hiatus, Meredith's storyline ended with her character's decision to leave Seattle for Boston, where she accepted a position with the Catherine Fox Foundation to research Alzheimer's disease. Pompeo stepped back from Grey's Anatomy this season to pursue outside projects, including Orphan, which follows a terrifying adoption story in which a couple's new daughter turns out to be a grown woman masquerading as a child. RELATED VIDEO: Grey's Anatomy: Meet the New Interns for Season 19 During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show in December, Pompeo opened up about her reduced role on ABC medical drama. "I feel super happy, but listen the show has been incredible to me and I've loved a lot of the experience," she shared. "Listen it's just I gotta mix it up a little bit. I'm 53, my brain is like scrambled eggs ... I gotta do something new or I'm literally gonna turn into, like, [someone who] can't do the New York Times crossword puzzle every single day." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Grey's Anatomy returns to ABC on Feb. 23 at 9 p.m. ET.