Follow My Summer Travels!

For those of you that don’t know me, I love to travel. I believe that the best way to learn about history, geography, cultures, and languages is to spend time in new places. Luckily, this summer, I will be attending two of my friends’ weddings; so, next week, I will be leaving Phoenix for a six-week-long trip- first to the east coast, and then to India. And though I can’t take you along with me physically, I’ll be blogging about my travels here and on Instagram (@looseleafteamarket)- so here are a few things you’ll have to look forward to!

First, I’ll be visiting Boston, and the historic site where the Boston Tea Party- one of the most significant events leading up to the Industrial Revolution- occurred in 1773. On that night, a large group of men axed and threw 342 chests of tea- enough to make over 18.5 million cups of tea- into the Boston Harbor, to protest the British tea taxes. What inspired them to do such a thing, and what did this act symbolize to the British, who valued their tea so much? You can follow me to find out, as I visit the amazing Boston Tea Party Museum! And while I’m up in Massachusetts, I’ll be visiting a tea room and art bar in Cape Cod called The Captain’s Daughters, where they’ll be hosting a Tea + Tarot event. Join me as I get my fortune told!

In early June, I’ll be taking off to India- the world’s largest consumer of tea! This is where Darjeeling, Assam, and chai teas are produced, in addition to a wide variety of oolongs, green teas, herbal teas, and spices. My aunt owns an estate in central India, part of which is being used as a tea and coffee plantation (the rest consists of a small organic farm and lots of jungle, where wild tigers and elephants roam). If you’ve never seen what a tea shrub looks like, or how tea is grown, you’ll get to see this beautiful plantation, and learn about tea cultivation directly from the tea farmers!

We’ll learn about various herbs and spices in Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine and life science), see how they’re used in Indian cooking and healing methodologies, and learn about the legends and mysticism behind many of these herbs. We’ll see the work of many artisans along city street markets and rural villages. We’ll see new kinds of cuisines and get inspired with new ways to use all the amazing spices at Loose Leaf Tea Market. We’ll enjoy a beautiful Indian wedding celebration. And lastly, we’ll experience all kinds of surprises that only an adventure like this can bring! 

Are you excited? So am I! If you haven’t done so already, follow us on Instagram (@looseleafteamarket) and on our Facebook page, so you don’t miss out! I’ll see you on the other side of the world!

Sulinya