Tea and Tiny Houses: What They Have in Common
Over the past few years, I’ve experienced a growing connection in my life with the tea in my cup, and tiny living. Tea and tiny homes were not always deep passions of mine, but I continue to find myself becoming more and more excited to learn about both, and dive into both worlds. We took a trip to East Calais, VT to check out a tiny house called The Hyggelig Hytte, and while I sipped my morning Genmaicha tea, I started to think, tea and tiny living actually have a lot in common.
My dad always believed that less is more; that life didn’t need to be complicated by excess, and that you have to appreciate what you have. This has always struck a chord with me, and it sparked a passion for tiny living which, I so thankfully share with the person I love. Which is why we're on the hunt for the coolest, tiniest, eco-friendliest, and most sustainable homes out there. We stumbled upon the Hyggelig Hytte, a one room tiny cabin in the backyard of our host Selene, where you can practically make your morning tea or coffee without even having to get out of bed. This getaway reminded me of how simple life actually is, and how we tend to over-complicate it by confusing the things we want with the things we need.
And while a love for tiny living was growing, so has my love for teas. I’ve always enjoyed a nice cup of tea, but this past year my appreciation for it has grown immensely. I found a local family owned tea café in Connecticut, where quality tea is scarce, and applied to work there. I didn’t know much about tea or tisanes yet (or even the difference) but I was eager to learn more, so I did my best sponge impersonation and soaked up everything I could. The more I learned about tea, the more I kept thinking, what a beautiful sign from mother earth that she’s got our back. She reminds us to take care of ourselves with every cup. And with every sip I say thank you to this earth for providing for me, and promise to return the favor.
While tea and tiny homes are not the same, they have similar lessons for us to learn; to be grateful for what we have and how we are provided for, and to care of ourselves and the world around us. After all, you only have two homes in this life, your body and the Earth, love them and take care of them.
So I’ll keep drinking tea and living tiny and being thankful for it all.
Thank you to The Hyggelig Hytte for showing us your #tinygetaway. Check out Devin’s article about the stay, and we encourage you to join our forum to post any thoughts, questions, ideas, or projects of all things tiny living. Also, if you’re a tiny home and tea enthusiasts like myself; you’ll definitely want to check this place out. It’s quiet, simple, Selene is an amazing host, and if you drive just about a half hour away to Montpelier, there is a lovely tea and wine lounge called the North Branch. I enjoyed a lovely cup of Vietnamese Golden Tippy black tea which had subtle flavors of honey and caramel. Perfect on a stormy day.
“Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.”
-Bob Marley
May you always feel the rain, may you always have tea when you need it, and may you always feel grateful for what you have.
-Teanie Jeannie
