When I began packing all my tea to bring to university, one of my first thoughts was how I would brew tea in my dorm. I was so used to my setup at home with all my teas lined up on a shelf and my kettle on the stove, a couple teapots at the ready.
I brought what I decided were the essentials: a couple of small teapots, a dozen kinds of tea and a few tea spoons. Next I had to decide what to use to boil water. My original plan was to bring a small electric kettle to my dorm, but I soon learned that kettles where not allowed in the dorm rooms. I eventually settled on bringing a Keurig to my dorm just for the hot water.
When it came time to set up my tea set I was ready. I put all my teas, cups, and teapots on a large wardrobe shelf and I placed my Keurig on a milk crate beside my mini fridge. The last thing I had to figure out was how to get a good fresh water supply. I couldn’t use tap water of course, but luckily there are fountains all over the place. In the morning I go to a fountain and fill two bottles of water to bring back to my room. I pour them into my Keurig, pick my tea and I’m good to go.
So I’m all set up and ready to drink good tea in my new home. Now I’ll just have to do some school work!
Ah, what we all go through to be able to enjoy our favorite beverage each and every day. I agree that when we’re displaced from our home, it can be a bit challenging and our routine can suffer a bit. I just returned from Florida where I was visiting my mom for her 96th birthday. The first morning upon my return, my greatest pleasure was beginning my tea ritual, which immediately grounded me and brought a smile to my lips. I will always be grateful that tea is a part of my life.
I remember working around my school’s small appliance restrictions. I ended up having to use a roommate’s coffee maker for hot water. Another roommate was a bit more ambitious and managed to smuggle in an entire full-sized slow cooker before he got caught smelling up the whole floor trying to cook an octopus with it. So take it from my roommate, stick to tea!
That is awesome! I love reading stories like this. There is no wrong or right way to brew tea. It is just whatever works for you. I have people asking me all the time how I do it at work with my loose leaf and I tell them it just takes a bit of creativity and a few minutes and you are all set. Wonderful post!