I honestly can’t say when it was that I first started to love tea.  It was before I gave up coffee cold turkey, which was about six years ago now.  But having given up coffee, my interest in tea definitely seemed to grow a bit more intensely.  I also think it’s probably tied to being an Anglophile!

Actually, thinking about it further, I do think that having tea at the B&B’s I visited while my mom and I traveled around the UK and Ireland 20+ years ago might have been the most important turning point for my love of tea.  There was truly something magical about sipping a cup of British tea in England.  Or a cup of Irish Breakfast tea while eating toast and marmalade in Dun Loaghaire, Ireland.

My daily cup of tea in the morning is usually a cup of PG Tips or Ty-phoo or Barry’s Irish Breakfast.  ALWAYS with cream and sugar!  And with each sip, my connection to the UK and Ireland becomes a bit stronger.  My mind travels back to those moments of sipping tea at the B&B’s with mom, and thoughts of the places we explored during the day.

I’ve gone to afternoon tea now near me in the Chicago area a number of times, but I also make it a point to go to tea every time I travel. So I’ve enjoyed afternoon tea in Glasgow, Scotland; in New Orleans; in Washington, DC; and in New York City.  Each time I try to do a fair amount of research as to the best, and most importantly most magical places to have afternoon tea! And let me just say, I have not been disappointed! I’ve sipped my share of delicious, dark smoky teas (my personal favorite) in Victorian tea parlours, in grand hotels, and sitting in Mackintosh-inspired chairs while overlooking the streets of Glasgow.

Tea to me is magic, it’s a slowing down of time, and most importantly it’s comfort and savoring a moment in time. We can all use a bit of that, can’t we?