I was living in Paris
Miles from home, feeling miserable. I was really rather depressed (not medically speaking, fortunately). I spent some time online chatting to various people, but as I was living on my own, life was very lonely indeed.

I was chatting a girl and she asked how I was. I replied with some rubbish, and she realised I was telling porky-pies.

She listened on msn (those were the days, eh?) for about two hours, and encouraged me greatly. Two days later a bar of Green and Blacks Mayan Gold chocolate arrived. It was only a token gesture, a couple of quid on chocolate, a little bit more to send it to Paris, but it literally changed my life.

I was so cheered up by the fact that this relatively random person I had met online had done something thoughtful that I left my apartment (tiny tiny box, for which I paid extortionate money) for the first time in days.

In that year in Paris I went on to meet my wife, got a fantastic mark that helped me get my career going, and generally had one of the best years of my life.

And I still nom nom nom the oh-so-tasty Mayan Gold chocolate on a regular basis. It may only have been a bar of chocolate, but it was the most important bar of chocolate I think I've ever eaten. Amanda, if you're reading -- thank you.
(Exiled Youth [witty comment], Sat 4 Oct 2008, 11:26, 2 replies)

This really cheered me up.
I've been chatting to a guy who was/is a lot like you were once, and I really hope I can do for him what your Amanda's done for you.
( Bats, Sat 4 Oct 2008, 19:06, closed)

You're welcome
hurr hurr hurr
(Stu Moo winner of five nobble piece prizes, Sat 4 Oct 2008, 21:03, closed)