Bean Trying New Things

Lovely cup at the White Heather.

 I'm a tea drinker at heart.

Orange Pekoe runs in my veins.

I have British roots and have grown up appreciating "Tea Time" around 3 o'clock with a hot, sweet, milky cup of tea to top off the afternoon.

I've been to many Tea Rooms around Victoria, Oak Bay and abroad. I adore their quaint atmospheres, delicate tea sandwiches, fresh scones and Devon cream and having tea with someone I care about.
(The best in Victoria, in my humble but knowledgeable opinion is the White Heather!)

Simply put, I love tea.

But this story is not about tea. It's about my very first ever coffee!

Coffee is not something I have ever enjoyed. True, I've only sipped coffee and smelled it's heady aroma filling our home every morning for most of my life.

I've never liked the taste or smell, and because of that immediate built-up disgust I've held on to for so long, I've never actually given any sort of coffee a real try.

That is...until today.
  
 Today I had my first ever coffee.

And I loved it!!!

Yes, all you coffee-haters are grimacing and cringing, and honestly, I was, too, until I put mind over matter and tricked my brain into taking that first gulp...and I was pleasantly and whole-heartily surprised. That first gulp was delicious!

No, it's wasn't a very strong coffee, let alone plain black, but it's a start. And honestly, I think I might be in trouble, I liked it so much.

How did this all come about, you ask?
Well, a dear friend of mine stopped by my office this morning and so very kindly brought me a drink from Tim Horton's. I thanked her and after she left I brought what I thought was a cup of hot chocolate to my lips when I realized this was no ordinary chocolate drink.

I asked a co-worker to try and tell me by smell alone what kind of drink she thought it was, and after deciding it was indeed a French Vanilla Coffee I was stumped.

• Do I pass it on to someone else who might appreciate the drink?
• Do I waste it and feel bad that a kind gift was thrown away?
  
• Do I take another whiff and just see if...maybe....perhaps...yes, yes, I think it smells quite good actually.
• Do I dare?
• Do I overcome a huge hurdle, milestone, obstacle of silly anti-coffee prejudice and dare try it? 

I let the hot drink sit for a few moments as I distracted the British Tea Drinker side of my brain into thinking there was nothing to fear....it was NOT coffee and of course I would never betray my one true hot beverage love and cheat on it with a Timmy's flavoured drink. No way!

When I was good and distracted I let my hand pick up the soothingly warm cup and took a good gulp.

This is my very first coffee of any kind! (No, I didn't win anything.)

The warm flavouring slid over my lips and down across my tongue, teasing it with the creamy sweetness of vanilla that I logically knew I enjoyed in other drinks, like a steamed milk. Then the fuller, more rich mocha-coffee flavour rounded out the sweet, making this simple drink feel like I was enjoying a decedent dessert.

YUM!

Yes, I am a bit silly, but after promptly and thoroughly enjoying the entire coffee I realized that because of some preconceived notions about what I thought I liked or didn't like, I had been missing out on something quite lovely.

Don't get me wrong, I still love tea and always will and I am by no means a proclaimed 'coffee drinker' as of yet, however, I dared to try something new and actually liked it!

I encourage you to do the same, whether it's trying coffee for the first time, traveling to a place you've never been before, or stepping out of your comfort zone to learn a little more about someone.

Try it. I dare you!

I also must admit that tiny jolt of caffeine did a wonder for my energy level for the rest of the day!