Friends

Honestly, not as much as I'd like to these days, since work tends to eat up most of my weekdays. But I always try to carve out time at the weekend to catch up with them properly, even if it's just a quick coffee or a phone call. When we do get together, though, we really make the most of it.

It really depends on the mood, but more often than not we end up at a cosy little café near where I live, mainly because it's quiet enough to actually hear each other talk. Every now and then we'll switch things up and grab a bite at some new restaurant we've been meaning to try. To be fair, our go-to spot is still just someone's flat, where we can lounge around without watching the clock.

I'm firmly in the camp of quality over quantity, so I'd take a handful of close friends any day. The thing is, with a small circle you can be completely yourself and let your guard down, whereas keeping up with loads of acquaintances feels a bit exhausting and honestly pretty shallow. For me, having two or three people who genuinely have my back means far more than a huge social circle.

They're absolutely essential to me — I'd say they're one of the pillars that keep me grounded. When life throws a curveball, they're the ones I turn to before anyone else, and just venting to them can take a massive weight off my shoulders. A few months back, when I was going through a rough patch at work, my closest friend talked me off the ledge, and I honestly don't know how I'd have coped without her.

Nothing too fancy, really — a lot of the time we just hang out, grab something to eat and chat for hours on end. When we're feeling a bit more adventurous, we'll go hiking or take a spontaneous weekend trip somewhere. Last month, for instance, we drove out to the coast on a whim, and it turned into one of the best trips I've had all year.