At the beginning of the summer, Nate and I decided that tea is a necessary side effect of a party. So if there’s a party at our house, whether it be for playing games or watching tv shows, tea is served. I find myself liking plain and simple earl gray quite a lot. Nate prefers his Samurai Chai from Teavana with a tablespoon of sugar and a generous splash of milk.

Now, scarcely a weekend (or even a weekday) goes by where our dishwasher or counter isn’t completely filled with tea cups and mugs. It brings me such happiness seeing so many dirty cups, so many good times, so many great parties.

Of course, a party wouldn’t be a party without my state’s official snack: popcorn. Yes, I just found out states had official snacks. But popcorn is pretty great as far as snacks go.

However, it’s mainly about the tea. There’s nothing like your friends just helping themselves to a mug as soon as they come in fully knowing the system. There’s nothing like holding a steaming cup in your hands, curling up in a blanket, and laughing or crying the night away with friends. Tea will always put me in a good mood and remind me of pleasant times.