Tea.
When I think of the elegant, delicious beverage I immediately picture myself walking down a quaint street in England, smiling at every stranger I see. Looking through store windows from left to right to finally find my new favourite tea shop to sit and indulge. I picture the setting to be completely vintage. Vintage table cloths, chairs, tea ware, etc. Faint classical and jazz music playing in the background from a vinyl player in the kitchen where the older ladies are steeping a variety of teas. I’m greeted at the door with a British accent asking me if I’ve been here before. I reply “yes” only because the first step into the shop made me feel like I was at home. I seat myself and am given a beige sheet of paper with my options for black, herbal, green, white, and iced teas as the lady leaves to grab her pad of paper to take my order.
I sit and take the atmosphere in. It reminds me of home so much. The family sitting next to me enjoying their tea sandwiches and teaching their young daughters to sip the tea out of their teacups with their pinkies up reminds me of when I was younger. The background music sounds like a musical piece my boyfriend has covered back in college. The lady at the table across from me reminds me of my younger teenage self. Sitting alone, sipping her cup and typing away on her laptop with textbooks spread along the table.
The lady arrives with my order of chamomile tea in a floral teapot and tea cup and places them on the doily directly across from me. My freshly baked scone arrives with some macaroons on the side. I feel like sweets today, and lots of them.
This has always been my dream. To travel to England and explore the plethora of tea shops that surround the corners of each street. To sit with my apple laptop and just type away all my feelings and thoughts from each sip I take and each sip I savor. To smile and laugh and feel good about what I’m doing with my life. To get published. To be known. All this is the country of England. The home of my dreams.