what a difference a friend makes

When living so far away from family, friends and your other half, you come the conclusion that you are all on your own. So desperately willing to make yourself feel better but not always knowing how. Despite the new and exciting friends who with you do new and exciting things, there is just something so utterly lonely about a year abroad.

It's up to you to get yourself motivated for the rest of the day. Up to you to conquer the small problems other people may not even notice, be they with language skills, or even working out if you're in the right place at the right time.

It's up to you to cheer yourself up when you're sad. To push yourself to eat properly, remind yourself your fridge does not refill itself and nor does your bank account, and to remember that it's okay to be homesick. And also okay to not be.

As this huge realisation began to dawn on me on a particularly cold and dull day, I got a message from my friend Fiona asking for a spontaneous visit to the two girls from the same secondary who so luckily ended up living not only in the same town, but as neighbours.

This boost of energy that she brought with her left us staying up chatting into the small hours of the night, discussing past events, future wishes and present discoveries. All forms of music, art, theatre and dance.

When we weren't drinking tea, sipping on spumante, or trying out the local delicacies, we were bounding about the place, with or without a bicycle, always with a camera at hand, always chatting - with so much in our lives to catch up on.

Being with these two girls, my friends from home, made me take a whole new perspective on things. Made me feel more confident in myself to share our weaknesses - say them out loud - and know that even if there was no easy solution, there would always be support.

I truly felt myself for the first time in a while, and felt I could skip about and sing songs from Les Miserables at the top of our voices, and have the courage to go into shops I'd never dared enter before.

Parma was refreshed in my eyes by Fiona's visit; its huge long streets and mish mash of old and new somehow taking on a new beauty.

Now the question is whether I will manage to keep myself as uplifted as I was over the past few days. As Fiona left, I began to draw up a list in my head of all the small things I could achieve with relative ease, but that would still make me feel happy and proud.

I am determined to stick to it. This time.

As for the girl with the ice cream who spontaneously took a plane out to Italy, who claims her life is dull - it most certainly is not!