It all began January 2 of this year. I wanted to curb my wine drinking so I decided to try Dry January. The first evening was tough. I was used to having wine in the evening with dinner. I needed to keep myself occupied until I could take myself to bed at a respectable hour. So I did laundry, finished a crossword, started a jigsaw puzzle, and walked the dog. 

The dog was thrilled but I was struggling. I decided to make a cup of herbal tea. But when I opened the cabinet I saw that my sister had left behind a box of black tea after visiting for Christmas. I eyed it with suspicion. It was a mixed box with different colored labels: English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Early Grey, Lady Grey. I have never had black tea before. I thought about tossing the box but then I thought what the heck, I’ll see what all the fuss is about. I made a cup of Irish Breakfast tea and put some milk in it. At first sip I grimaced. Second sip I squeezed my eyes shut and wished it were a glass of red wine. Third sip I started to bob the teabag and think about how many days were left in January. I took the mug up to bed with me and sipped it while reading my book and soon my mug was empty. 

The next morning I woke up and made my usual cup of coffee. One cup and I am done for the day. But something weird happened. About an hour later I went back to that mixed box and grabbed another Irish Breakfast tea. This time I grimaced once, then wondered what the English Breakfast tasted like. I grabbed one of my daughter’s homemade cookies and absent-mindedly dunked it in the tea. A few hours later the kettle was whistling again and I decided to use my thermal mug to keep my tea hot longer. 

The next day I found myself in between clients so I stopped off at a bakery and ordered tea. Side note: it’s borderline criminal what they charged for a cup of hot water and a tea bag. They didn’t have Irish Breakfast so I tried Earl Grey. Hmm. Not so much a fan. It had more of a bite to it, but still I drank it. Once home again I grabbed a Lady Gray. Definitely a bit more floral than my Irish. Not unpleasant, just different. I started to find that I was thinking less about wine and more about tea. By the end of the first week I wager I was drinking about six cups of tea a day. I started to get mini headaches. I thought it was wine withdrawal but after a google search realized that I was taking in a lot of caffeine. So I switched to decaf black tea and continued on my tea journey. 

Do I miss wine? I would be lying if I said I didn’t. I had a stressful dinner with a family member and while she drank wine, I sat there and sipped my tea and made it back home without one sip of wine. I feel like tea has helped me break an unhealthy habit and I find that remarkable. I am realizing that it is possible to enjoy life without wine. I will not wax poetic about how the air feels crisper but it is true that I do feel more present. I still find myself getting irritated with little things but I don’t think about reaching for a glass of wine like I used to. 

Now! Who has some good tea recommendations? 

Lexi

A Moodscope Member