Can’t sleep!

Here it is 5:20 am and I’ve been up since 4:00 am. I’m so excited about tomorrow! I’ll be picking up James Norwood Pratt tomorrow evening. I just can’t wait to chat his ear off about tea. I have to pinch myself that it’s really happening. I remember when I first met him. It was at my first World Tea Expo (formerly called, “Take Me To Tea”) in 2004. I was looking at one of the tea booths and overheard they were getting ready to do a tea tasting. I decided to stay and listen. It wasn’t a very big booth. At first there were only a few people, but eventually it was packed so much so that everyone decided to sit on the floor and listen. Norwood was so mesmerizing. He described the tea, the taste and even the country from where the tea originated. It was then that I fell in love with tea. Prior to that, I had opened the tea room not because I loved tea, but because I loved to cook and entertain. I had always “liked” tea, never cared for coffee, but after that tea tasting session, I fell in love with tea.

Since that first time, the expo has grown tremendously. The tea vendor now has a huge booth and even barstools for us to sit on while we listen to Norwood and taste tea. It’s always the highlight of my trip. This year was particularly exciting as Norwood introduced Rajah Banerjee-owner of one of the oldest tea plantations in Darjeeling, India. He owns the Makaibari Estate where we get our Makaibari Darjeeling. Norwood has talked about him for years and this past year I was finally able to meet him.

It was also at this expo where I talked to Norwood about coming to our tea room. I had wanted to have him come speak to my customers for years, but this year I finally felt comfortable enough to ask him. I think it was because he remembered me by name this year. I felt so special! So now you can see why I can’t sleep. The man who really introduced me to tea is speaking at my tea room! I am so grateful and honored!