2018 has been a year of change. Some of that was good and some of it…not so much. Here’s a bit of a look back on my year in tea.
Tea for Me Please was hosted on Blogger ever since I wrote my very first post. It became clear that I needed more than what a free platform could offer. In March, I finally made the big leap to Squarespace Unfortunately doing so broke my sitemap and royally screwed up my SEO. I had to emergency evacuate everything to WordPress once I realized what was going wrong.
I’ve had the honor of being nominated for several World Tea Awards over the years. In 2018 I was nominated for and won the award for Best Tea Blog. Holy cow! It meant, even more, this year because Tea for Me Please turned 10 just a few months ago. I couldn’t be there in person to accept the award. Watching Oolong Owl’s Instagram live feed was the next best thing. My husband and I were walking down the street when my name was announced. That didn’t stop us from jumping for joy.
The wedding budget kept me from traveling much. I did get to explore some great places close to home, like Setsugekka and 29B Teahouse. I also met Oscar Brekell when he visited NYC and attended the Summer Fancy Food Show. 2018 did bring some incredible opportunities to participate in the tea industry. I joined the board of directors of the American Specialty Tea Alliance and the education committee for World Tea Expo.
I got married!
Getting married was the biggest change that I made this year. I’m officially Mrs. Wilson! Planning a wedding was a lot of work. I did not have nearly as much time to write blog posts as I usually would. I’m so thankful that my readers hung in there. Some weeks I couldn’t get the Friday Roundup done.
I had a tea filled bachelorette party and bridal shower. You might be surprised that the only part of my wedding that involved tea was the favors. One of my wedding favors wa a few ounces of a delicious Yue Guang Bai from Yunnan Sourcing. I managed to squeeze in a few tea stops on my honeymoon to Savannah, GA too.
Top 5 Blog Posts of 2018
- 4 Ways to Make Matcha Without a Whisk
- How Long Does Tea Stay Fresh?
- 6 Books to Help You Learn About Puerh
- The Tea for Me Please Guide to Cold Brewing Tea
- Awesome Tea Creators of Etsy
Goals for 2019
I’m looking forward to another tea filled year in 2019. There are a few goals that I would like to accomplish in mind. I thought writing them down here for everyone to read might give me a bit more accountability.
-It has been a few years since I attended World Tea Expo. I’m trying my hardest to make it to Las Vegas this year as well as the Toronto Tea Festival. I’m also hoping to make it to at least one tea farm. That will most likely be one in the U.S. but it’s a start!
-I invested in a brand new DSLR camera. That means better tea pictures for the blog but I also have aspirations to make more videos for YouTube. There might even be a new series in the works. 😉
-Blogging more consistently is at the top of my to-do list. I’ll be reevaluating my current schedule and making adjustments when needed. This year has shown me that I need that kind of structure to stay motivated and on top of things.
-My knowledge of Korean teas and tea culture is lacking so I am making that a focus in the coming year.
-My tea life has always tended to be a bit separate from other parts of my life. I’d like to change that by making it a point to share tea with friends and family.
What are your tea goals for 2019? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!