The holidays were coming up, and it had been a stressful year for my bestie and I. We had just finished our final exams, and we hadn't been spending too much time together. I was starting to feel a bit sad. I decided to tell my older sister how I was feeling.

I started moaning about how I missed my best friend. We would usually be laughing and joking all the time, but these days it didn’t seem like she had time for me. My sister reminded me that friendships take work, especially when life gets busy. She suggested I plan something fun to reconnect. What a great idea!

I had so many ideas for what I would love to do with my bestie... I got a pen and paper and wrote a list of my ideas: ‘A lovely walk, swimming in the river, dancing, a picnic in the park...' They all sounded fun, but I wanted to do something different.

Later that afternoon, I spoke to my mum. My friend loves eating delicious food and was always interested in learning about my Mother's recipes. I knew she would find cooking fun. When I told my mum my idea she got very excited. She told me that she would teach us how to make homemade bread in the outdoor oven, a meat stew, and a sweet dessert.

The next day at school I gave my bestie a handmade card that said : ‘Surprise hangout Day – This Saturday’ and I told her to meet me at 12 pm sharp.

We had the most fantastic time. My mum showed us so many amazing tricks and after we created our delicious feast, we enjoyed it together in the garden. We sat on a picnic blanket and counted the stars as we ate our amazing meal. My bestie thanked me for taking the time to put our friendship first and promised she would plan our next catch-up soon! I am proud of myself for planning a fantastic day! It is important even in busy times to make time for our friends and show our appreciation!