Tea Serendipity
Serendipity – (n.) finding something good without looking for it…
Some of the best things are unexpected. While I’ve always loved drinking tea. In the beginning, I would just pick certain herbal teas. Over time, I’ve grown to explore different flavors, and even more now than before. This kind of exploring is exciting to me because it gives me a chance to taste favors from different places, as well as from tea bags to loose tea (like above), and every moment is an adventure. You don’t know how the tea will turn out, and you figure out how to make the tea. It’s not just tea, but an experience. Even in the process of buying it. Normally I buy tea bags, but recently I found a tea store that has given me another opportunity not only to support a local business, as well as try something new which is making loose tea.
Greek Mountain Tea from Lakonia Greek Products
It all started from when I was thinking about if there was a Greek tea, during Greek Independence Day (March 25). I’ve been trying out more British tea lately (Yorkshire, Twinnings English/Irish Breakfast, Earl Grey). I was interested in trying a tea related to my family roots, from my dad’s side. So I started to search online, and found Greek Mountain Tea. I noticed that there was a store that offered to ship it, where they actually import from Greece even though they are an American store, it’s called Lakonia Greek Products. The tea sounded great, especially since it has health benefits. The only problem was I didn’t know how long it would take to receive the tea. The reason why I wanted to have it soon is because I’ve been having a recurring problem with my feet. I thought that maybe something natural would be additional help, besides the medicine that my doctor gave me. So that caused me to wonder if I could find this tea locally, before ordering online, since I know that my city has a great Greek-American community. As I searched by calling different locations, but everyone kept saying they either didn’t know and didn’t have that tea within their store. Then there was one place that I called (which I’ve been to before), Tango Tea Room, where they directed me to a new local store, Lotus Dreams Tea, which they thought might have what I was looking for. I looked through their site of what teas they had, but they also didn’t have the tea I was looking for. I decided that maybe I could order the tea I wanted, and head over to this new store to get some tea that could make till I received the tea I wanted. I didn’t want to go alone, so I asked my friend Freyja who loves tea if she could go with me.
We both headed over there (this was on Friday), and we both found some great tea that we ended up buying. The tea that I bought was a custom blend because I was trying to get a tea that could help me feel better. One of the owners there was amazing in trying to figure out which tea flavors to mix into this blend. It didn’t matter to me that she had to do her own search online, because even though she knew tea, she didn’t specialized in how each type of tea affects the body. It didn’t matter to me because I knew she would she would be able to help me. While my friend and I were buying the tea, we explored the place, and I thought it would be a great place to write and drink tea (which I hope to do some time soon). When we left, I knew I wanted to share about this store every where. It was almost like when I went to the local store, Threads, where I found so many great clothes that I didn’t think I would, thanks to one of the ladies who works there who gave me guidance. I couldn’t help sharing about that place as well. Plus I enjoy supporting local places. So these experiences felt like serendipity, and it’s amazing how even within my own city, I can find exciting mini-adventures.
I know I will still buy British tea for many reasons (Yorkshire & Twinnings) and any tea that I can’t get locally (such as Greek Mountain tea). At the same time, I’m happy that I found Lotus Dreams Tea because it’s another place for me to get really great tea. I also found out recently, thanks to a friend Philip, to try mixing the two breakfast blends from Twinnings. I had never tried Twinnings before, so I bought a verity pack so I could try different flavors. Last year I tried out for the first time Yorkshire tea, thanks to Freyja, so I knew I already liked Black tea. I tried Earl Gray a while back from Starbucks, but not from Twinnings. When he suggested to mix the breakfast blends together, I was excited to try it out because I hadn’t done that before. He mentioned it would be good with milk, and sugar. Since I have a lactose intolerance, I use soy milk. Anyways, the tea turned out great. Now I want to drink so many tea blends all the time. I think I may enjoy tea more now than ever before.
Yorkshire tea with a Jammie Dodger
My custom blend from Lotus Dreams Tea
I find that it helps me focus when I’m writing, either creatively or academically. It makes me feel better, and relaxes me. It just makes me happy. What kind of tea blends do you enjoy? Are there some you enjoy more when you’re writing? I enjoy having black tea when I’m stressed out and/or need focus, but also when I want something British. I enjoy the herbal tea to calm, and make me feel better. I don’t think I have a certain blend that I favor the most to write, as long as I have some kind of tea. It just seems to make sense to have tea while writing, it’s the perfect combo, at least for me anyways. I’m actually having my custom blend right now as I’m writing this blog post.
Twinnings Mix (English & Irish Breakfast blends) w/soymilk & sugar
I hope you enjoy a cuppa, or if that’s not your thing then coffee, today. Possibly write a bit as well, either creatively for Camp NaNoWriMo (which the first session started yesterday, there’s another session in July) and/or National Poetry Month (April in USA), or journaling. Also tea and reading is another great combo. No matter what you do, take some time for yourself. Even though I know that you’re busy with life, with all the things you need to do, it’s important to take some time. That way you’re able to get through the things you need to do. Maybe you might also experience your own serendipity.
Comentários