I grew from eucalyptus-leaf medicine and pilfered dining-hall bags to mall-bought cinnamon epiphanies and jasmine pearls. Spain’s Spicy Choc deepened the obsession; Chicago shops broadened it. Along the way, I converted my dad, courted students, coworkers, and classmates. Now tea is warmth, exploration, and friendship—always best when shared.

I once dismissed milk oolong as milky weirdness, but careful brewing revealed a silky, buttery, dairy-free delight born of temperature shifts and moonlit legend. Best chilled, it shines in creamy iced tea with rooibos ice cubes, cold- or hot-brew methods, and inspires playful recipes from donuts to tapioca and tea-braised dishes.

Colombian coffee-lover Rafa arrives in Argentina unimpressed by bitter, ubiquitous mate. Gradually, the gourd, bombilla, cheap yerba and ever-present thermos become his daily ritual, then his social passport—the “drink of friendship.” Back in Colombia, teased yet faithful to his kit, he sips nostalgia: soccer nights, shared rounds, acquired taste.

Tea-obsessed and armed with a journalism degree, I follow a Travel and Leisure essay’s inspiration to India, where chai calls echo through stations and sugar drowns subtle leaves. From Delhi’s loose-leaf sanctuaries to Thekkady’s rolling plantations and Connemara’s factory floors, every cup confirms it: I must keep traveling for tea.