This article is part of a series sponsored by Ding.

Anyone who follows, engages or knows my work knows that the Caribbean, more specifically Jamaica, means the world to me. I consider the island home. It’s where my family is from and where my friends reside. I always say, if I ever get married and don't have the wedding in Jamaica, there will need to be a serious ceremony there for all my loved ones to be able to attend. I want my girls there!

I first met Nastasia when I was 13 years old when I started high school, we were placed in the same form/tutor class. In true youthful naivety, I took her to be like most girls in my class. I thought she was so cute. Even today, over ten years later, I regard her as one of the most beautiful people I know inside as well as out. 

Like my entire friendship group, she never treated me differently. Having been born in the UK, being dark-skinned, but also having a few well-known family connections, there were a lot of people who were unusually fond or held a dislike towards me. I remember being considered weird for not having a boyfriend. But my squad? My girls? They didn’t care about all that and I am forever grateful. My heart broke when I returned to the UK in 2013 and I had to inform my friends over the phone and via social media that I would not return for my final year of high school with them.

I wondered how I would maintain my relationships with them while living in the UK. It’s well-known that there is a connectivity between the USA and the Caribbean that does not translate over here. Many things play a part in this relationship – the cost of flights, proximity and generally just both being a part of the Americas. But despite the distance, my friendships have remained intact and strong. It’s safe to say that Nastasia is probably the closest friend out of the entire group. I would not have finished my degree last year without her; all my late nights writing essays and doing online exams, she was right there with me, messaging me throughout the entire process.

When I think about the struggles of my friendship, I can simply sum it up with three words: distance, time and location. To be brutally honest, the worst part of my friendship is that my friends are never physically there when I need them. I often tell people to imagine your best friends, all of them, those that will be in your life forever, that your children will call auntie and uncle and all that, well, imagine not being able to physically touch them or hug them. 

And the real killer is that I’m not there when they need me. Since coming back a handful of them have lost a parent and as the rest quickly head back from Kingston to our home of St Elizabeth, I sit in South London wondering how I can try and support them. I try to keep up with the goings on of the group, and most of the time this means I’m up all hours of the night.

We have WhatsApp groups mainly because most of my friends are not on social media or rarely use them, and it’s voicenotes, stickers and video calls for the win. I once remember going to bed as my 7am alarm went off after texting in the group chat all night. These days, Nastasia especially knows how easily my sleeping pattern can be ruined and now whenever she sees me on social media after midnight she does not hesitate to question me and send me to bed. 

I was first introduced to Ding, the international mobile top-up service, via my mother – she often asks me to top up the mobile numbers of family and friends, and I think she first heard about them from a friend. Like me, she stays in contact with several people back home. Back in the day, I used to find myself anxiously waiting in a corner shop that does money transfer services, hoping and praying I get the area code, number and mobile service provider correct. Now, I am super grateful I can easily and immediately top up my friend's phone so they can buy data plans with Ding.

With Ding you can instantly top-up any number on any network, anywhere in the world. The platform is secure, simple to use and Ding covers more countries than anyone else, helping the diaspora to always stay connected.

This month, you can get 25% off your first top-up with Ding, with the code ‘TRYDING25’ at checkout.