Hi there! I have been drinking tea with my father since I was a small child, but have only recently decided to become a connoisseur. My dad was strictly strong black tea made with boiling water and teabags steeped in a pot, usually a supermarket brand like Lipton or Red Rose, sometimes Twinings English or Irish Breakfast. He was very particular about how it was made and steeped for 5 minutes and that is what I grew up with. Little did I knew that was just the beginning! I visited my first tea shop back in the late 90s in high school and was fascinated with the loose teas and metal infusers- I had no clue there were so many types and that there were ways making teas without bags and China pots!

So over the years I would occasionally purchase some loose tea- usually English or Irish Breakfast. Never tried an herbal or green, hadn’t even heard of white, anything with flavor was to be avoided as I was a purist and oolong was something I only had at Chinese restaurants. I eventually started drinking iced green tea, just the commercial bottled stuff. Liked the flavor so started to experiment drinking it hot at home, sometimes made it iced, again made with tea bags and always boiling water because that’s what I was taught.

A few years back, I had branched out a little more, trying some more loose teas but still favoring my black and green bags due to convenience. I learned that water temperature should vary depending on the type of tea- wow that was something I didn’t know before! So since then I’ve been trying to learn all I can about blacks, greens, whites and oolong. Never been a huge herbal fan, but I am realizing those fruity herbals are great iced! Good alternative to fruit juice and soda so I tend to have a fruity flavored green, a fruity herbal or an herbal and flavored black mix in my fridge at all times. Also sometimes enjoy a chamomile blend before bed.

I have now abolished all bags and am sampling various types of teas, mostly from Teavana because that’s the most convienient way for me to view and smells teas before purchasing. I’ve been pleased with the information the employees have shared with me and the teas I’ve purchased from them, but would like to start branching out and ordering online from some of the shops I’ve read about on here. There aren’t many local tea shops around to visit, but I found a couple around the general area that I plan on visiting. I am also looking forward to attending a tea ceremony at a Japanese tea house my friend told me about!

Since purchasing the Breville One Touch Tea Maker I have been drinking way more tea than ever before since it’s just so simple! That machine is worth every penny and really is a game changer! Before it took ages for my water to boil in my stovetop kettle, and trying to figure out temps for greens and whites, forget it, I just started using the water from my Keurig, whatever temperature that was! So now that I’m set up with the proper equipment, I’m ready to sample tea more and learn! I have also been watching YouTube videos and reading books about the growing and harvesting process and different types. Some people like antique cars, coins, cigars, wine, craft beer- I decided I wanted tea to be my new hobby since I’ve enjoyed it my whole life. Enjoyable, healthy and something I can enjoy on my own in my home or out in public with others. Excited to learn and gain knowledge from everyone!!!

Outside of tea… I’m a huge animal lover. I’m self-employed, I have a mobile dog grooming business and I train and sell horses. I live on a small horse farm in southeastern PA near Philadelphia, Lancaster, Wilmington and Baltimore.

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