But life is never that easy, especially for an international stand-off, and certainly one who has rediscovered what it takes to play at the highest level and has a deep desire to stay there. This time last year Parks was seemingly discarded by Scotland under the new coaching regime led by Andy Robinson, left out of Robinson's first squad of 44 and given little encouragement that things would change.
"But that doesn't mean the pressure has gone," he said this week, training and flat moving having left little time for relaxation ahead of this evening's Magners League opener for Cardiff.
One year on and he was not only included in a smaller squad for the pre-season training camp at St Andrews but was there as Scotland's No 1 No 10, having claimed a handful of Man of the Match awards in the 2010 RBS Six Nations Championship and helped to steer Scotland to a maiden Test series victory in Argentina.
"Last year I was in a difficult place and I had to get my own form right. That was the challenge then but it's similar now. The focus has to be just on getting my form back to where I want it to be. It was good to come back into the Scotland team last season and the performances the team put in, and it was great to be involved with the Scotland camp last month, and be able to look forward to what we have coming up. But things change quickly and if I want to be part of that again I have to get things right in Cardiff, starting this weekend."
"It's been over four weeks since I joined Cardiff now and I'm getting into it, but it's been pretty full-on with pre-season training, going back to Scotland for training at St Andrews, all the media build-up and finally getting into my flat this week. It's gone by quick, but I've really enjoyed it.
Parks admits that the change of scene was "scary" at first, as he headed south without his girlfriend to get to grips with pre-season training, and without a licence to drive as a result of last year's drink-driving offence. But, just as rugby handed him some dark days of depression in 2009, so the sport has brought him back.
"I think in most rugby circles you find that guys come together pretty quickly and support each other. There's quite a bond in teams, certainly every team I've been a part of. You know you have to help each other out there on the pitch if the team is going to win. You have to be there for each other.
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