Obsession

I will admit it.  I won't admit it loudly and openly in a crowded room, but I will admit it here.  I am obsessed with tea.

If you've ever seen my tea cupboard, which is a bit of an understatement,  you will wonder where I ever found so much tea and when I think I will ever finish drinking it all.  I suppose if I drank 3 cups of tea a day, I will never ever finish drinking all the tea that I have in my tea "closet". 

I LOVE tea.  I love having different flavours at my disposal.  I love having the traditional asian oolong, jasmine, genmaicha and matcha teas sitting next to my western Celestial Seasonings tea (you must try Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride when it comes out over the holidays!).  I love having all of my mesh tea balls sitting, screaming to be filled with loose leaf tea, and my timid Honey Bear sitting at the edge just waiting to be huged.  All of it screams comfort and joy to me.  All of it. 

The first time my fiance saw my tea cupboard he just about died.  He didn't know what to say, and to be honest, it was a good year before I even let him open one of the cupboard doors.  He didn't know what to make of my dirty little secret.  To this day, it is something that isn't spoken about.

One of my favourite memories is being out with a dear dear friend who knew of my obsession with tea.  He took me to the most zen of tea houses located (who knew) in Kansas.  Through it's open doors, we could hear the waterfall that was on the back wall, and wandered through walls and walls of the most exquisite teas displayed in beautiful canisters.  Rows and rows of green, black and white teas.  We chose our tea.  It was brought out in delicate glass tea cups and a delicate glass tea pot holding the leaves inside.  Accompanying our tea was a timer.  When it went off, it was time to remove the tea leaves from the water.  Each tea had a specific brew time for optimal flavour.  When my timer beeped, I removed my tea leaves, poured my tea into my cup, inhaled the delicious scent of a perfectly brewed cup, and took a sip.  Heaven.  We stayed for a good hour just talking and drinking tea.  The perfect day.

Yesterday I wandered into the city to one of my favourite places for off the wall teas.  Davids Tea.  Love this place.  It isn't where I'd go to get my matcha tea or hunt for the special uniqueness and delicate flavours of white tea, but for something fun and cheerful to drink, David's is the place.  With my fiance in tow, I unleashed my obsession all over the store and bought way too much tea.

I've had 3 cups so far today, and the day is far from over...