I am one of those people who cannot survive without the pleasure of a good cup of tea. This attitude on my part can make traveling the highways and by-ways of average America, as well as visiting most of my coffee-drinking friends and relatives, something of a trick.

For example, whenever we start out early mornings on a driving trip, my dear husband pulls into his favorite convenience store and grabs a cup of coffee. He’s not particular, just so long as it is coffee. The best I have ever found at any convenience store is a bag of some nameless tea plopped into a Styrofoam cup, with what is usually lukewarm water poured over it. Just thinking of it is an assault on my sensibilities. Call me persnickety (truth) but I have never found tea, hot or cold, in a foam cup inviting—well, except for one time at the Memphis airport when I was absolutely desperate and managed a good sit-down-with-tea after an ordeal.

When I travel anywhere, I pretty much take every comfort from home, because I would just as soon not leave home in the first place. This time I am giving myself the treat of traveling light with no worries and favorite tea.

Our trip is only a day’s journey up the highway that I will start by good morning tea enjoyed with quiet time on the porch. I never care to bother with bringing tea with me, and besides, I sleep the first two hundred miles.

This will be a short four or five days’ stay with relatives, coffee-drinkers who have grown used to my persnickety tea ways. I will manage happily with tea bags–Taylors of Harrogate Afternoon Darjeeling and PG Tips for the pyramid tea bag style, as well as for when I want strength and variety. The differing tea bag styles make it easy to pack them together in a single small glass jar. I also carry along a gallon of distilled water, because I already know that I don’t care for the water where we are going. (Just call me Mr. Monk.) Very often I will carry my traveling ceramic cup, wrapped in a red-checked cotton napkin, simply because a cloth napkin cheers me, and my electric kettle, but all of those things await where I am going this trip.

There, I’m set. I’m already imagining a nice afternoon cup of tea upon our arrival and a pleasant chat.

CurtissAnn writes novels. Learn more on her site, CurtissAnnMatlock.com.

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