The year is 2013. Courteney Cox Arquette, once best known as Monica on Friends, has been crowned the new Martha Stewart. Her TV sibling, David Schwimmer, is an acclaimed director. Lisa Kudrow, who played flaky Phoebe? She's PTA president of her son's high school, while Matthew Perry (a.k.a. Chandler) recently completed The Whole 19 Yards. Then there's the pitter-patter of little Pitts echoing in the Hollywood Hills, where Jennifer Aniston is keeping house with the sexiest husband alive, Brad Pitt. As for Matt LeBlanc, well, he's still playing Joey Tribbiani.

Far-fetched? No more so than the real-life rocket ride experienced by the Friends over the past decade. Before the NBC series about love, life and lattes became a grande-size hit after its 1994-95 debut season, the cast was largely unknown – not to mention poor. LeBlanc has joked that he auditioned for the series with $11 to his name.

A decade later the super sextet have moved on – and up – with Emmys, marriages, kids and movies. Now, as the show enters its 10th and – they swear – final season, the Friends cast is readying for a teary-eyed goodbye. "It's bittersweet," says Schwimmer. "We're all having a great time now, but I think we're definitely going to be feeling some sadness." With just 18 new episodes this season, the cast will wrap filming in January (the finale airs in May). In the meantime, PEOPLE takes a look at how our Friends have changed – and where they go from here.

• Jennifer Aniston
• Courteney Cox
• Matt LeBlanc
• Lisa Kudrow
• David Schwimmer
• Matthew Perry