Let’s Talk Teavana

Yes, I know, another post about tea.

In my last post on tea, I talked about shaking up the coffee-drinkers routine by adding tea to the mix. With different flavors for all palates, great health benefits, and less caffeine jitters, tea is truly a great option for people who are tired of coffee or want to add another caffeine addiction to their day (I, personally, drink both because I love having multiple beverages to choose from at any given time).

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Now I want to talk about bad tea, and how certain companies sell it by thriving off the terrible, terrible sugar epidemic in America.

Basically, I want to talk about Teavana.

Well? What are you wearing?

Every week, it seems, I see headlines about something awful on the news. TV headlines are outrageous, Reddit headlines are outrageous… heck, even Facebook headlines are outrageous! It leaves me with a sense of helplessness. What can I, personally, do against kidnappings, murder, violence, and terrorist attacks? Whenever I see these headlines, I’m filled with a sense of unsettled silence. A heavy sadness. A ruined peace that leaves me crushed for the rest of the day.

But there are certain headlines, and certain comments on the internet, that just make me mad. And violations of women’s rights, especially when it comes to the way she looks or dresses, fit that bill.

Make Time to Cultivate Your Hobbies

When I was ten years old—just a nerdy girl in middle school—a substitute teacher came to cover another teacher who was on maternity leave and declared that she’d be teaching a creative writing class for a few weeks. I’d never done any sort of writing before, beyond homework and letters to distant family members, and the thought intrigued me. I jumped into it, fueled by the desire to create stories, and I’ve prided myself on being a writer ever since.

As with everything, mastering writing or any other beloved hobby doesn’t happen overnight. It requires practice and dedication, and a drive to succeed above all cost.

And as a writer, I fall short of that knowledge every day.

Wanderlust and the American Dream

Wikipedia definition: Wanderlust is a strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.

I’ve been bitten by the wanderlust bug. This isn’t a recent development; I’ve always been a wanderer, dreaming of exploring distant lands, meeting new people, and trying new things. Part of the reason I write is because I can create those places, people, and ideas on the page. It opens up a new world, an escapism, for others to enjoy.

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Writing, though, isn’t a replacement for the desire to travel. In fact, I’ve realized my impulse to just go somewhere gets stronger every day. I find myself checking airline prices and reading travel blogs, daydreaming about when I might be able to stop living vicariously through other peoples’ pictures, stories, and happiness. Wouldn’t it be great to just get up, hop on a plane, and fly to Japan? Or backpack through the countryside of France and sip wine with the locals? I would, in a heartbeat, snap up a ticket to Thailand to visit a place that has different thoughts, experiences, and attitudes than my own.

Looking to shake up your caffeinated drink of choice? Try tea!

Working, studying, raising kids, building hobbies, running a business, volunteering … the list of adult responsibilities goes on and on. It’s really no wonder that this overload of activities makes it a struggle to get up in the morning and stay focused throughout the day (the exhaustion always hits around 2 p.m. for me), and that’s why coffee is often considered an earthy, life-saving brew of caffeine and concentration.

This dependency on coffee is completely normal. According to statistics from E-Imports, a company that offers solutions and startup information to people who dream of owning and running a cute corner coffee shop, about 50% of Americans drink coffee. Out of the 50% who sip and savor a strong cup of joe, the average adult drinks 3.2 cups of coffee a day. I mean, who can limit themselves to only one cup a day? Coffee tastes good, and one cup probably only contains enough caffeine to get you through the morning (or, if you’re a coffee warrior, through a couple hours max).

Social Media is Great, but What about Good, Old Fashioned Book Reading?

Everywhere I look, new advances in technology are being made—and seemingly, this happens every couple months when some unique form of technology appears to solve society’s daily problems. When I was younger, I had an mp3 player (really a glorified USB drive) that used an AA battery and held up to 60 songs at once. Then I owned a Motorola flip phone that I used to text my friends and buy cool ringtones. It fit in my pocket, so it was a huge “level up” from the old, clunky phones my parents talked about.

(Does anyone remember the Nokia phones from the 90s? It’s OK if you do; the 90s were pretty cool!)

With these advances in the early-to-mid 2000s, it’s not surprising that now, in 2016, we’ve soared even higher with our interactive watches, Google Glass, and virtual reality. Through these gadgets, we get the latest and greatest features in social media and have the ability to constantly plug into our Twitter, Facebook, and other social circles. We no longer live in a world where we need to disconnect. Our signal is boost 24/7!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

I wish it would stop raining and show some sunshine soon. Come on, May! 🙂

Also, hello! This is Anna.