I’ve been rewatching Sex and The City. Blame it on Emily in Paris (both shows were created by the same guy) and Covid necessity. And now, one quote from the series is now living rent free in my mind.

This SATC scene happens at one of the many chic New York cafes the ladies frequent. All four of them are together, drinking bevvies and eating fries or salad or something.

They’re talking about men.

“But maybe,” Charlotte says at one point. “Maybe we are each others’ soul mates. The guys who come and go are just temporary.”

I think for so many of us gals, Covid changed things. And possibly put pressure on, or even ended, existing relationships.

It ended mine. When lockdown started, it became very apparent my on-again, off-again relationship just wouldn’t work long term.

According to experts, I wasn’t alone: “Divorce enquiries at TWS Legal Consultants have surged by more than 30 percent since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out,” said Nita Maru, solicitor and managing partner of TWS Consultants in Dubai.

“Usually we have a spike post-Christmas break, but now we are observing an increase during these times too.”

At my heart, I’m a hopeless romantic. I want all of us to fall in love and stay in it, and my Netflix stream is populated with ridiculously cliché rom coms.

Yet even I have started to wonder: what would it be like if we put just a little bit more emphasis on building up those close friendships, and worried a little less about if he was going to text us back?

So when the opportunity came to visit two properties in Maldives, one of the most romantic places in the world, I asked two friends. One joined me for Kandima Maldives, a relaxed mid-range property with boho and adventure vibes, and the other for Vakkaru Maldives, a five-star ultra-lux resort in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

I’m so glad I did.

While the Maldives might be known for loved-up happy couples, it has plenty to offer friends. We snorkeled with tropical fish at Kandima and Manta Rays at Vakkaru, rode bikes in the sand, tried aerial yoga (Kandima) and sound bath meditation (Vakkaru), and watched so many sunsets. There were a handful of moments that practically screamed for a partner — like a stunning sunset dinner at Vakkaru where the trees were wrapped in faerie lights and tables placed right on the beach. But even these were still special in their own way, full of friend chat and future dreams.

I also felt healthier than I had in a long time. The fresh air was definitely part of it, but studies have also documented the power of friendship on our health.

One study pointed at how friends could help with heart disease (gals experiencing a difficult time had lower blood pressure when a friend was present). Another looked at nearly 300,000 people in 100 countries, revealing how friendship was a stronger predictor of wellbeing than having close family ties.

In other words, the study suggested, friends could help you live longer.

I’m getting closer to the guy I’m seeing. Things are moving beyond the casual dating and into the ‘woah this might be serious’ space. I’m glad and happy and full of all those early-relationship sparkle jitters.

But even still, I’m holding my female friendships close. Love is powerful. Love is wonderful.

Yet maybe, just maybe, the greatest loves we will ever have are those we share with our dearest friends.