Thinking of the distant sea in a cool room. - A summary of July's summer tea

Good evening, this is Kanon, spending my days falling asleep to the sound of the electric fan oscillating as the nights have become completely difficult to sleep through.

Before I knew it, July is already coming to an end.
The air on the way home is as stiflingly humid as ever, and I get completely exhausted in the few minutes it takes to walk from the station to my house, but I feel like I've spent this month in a slightly better mood.

The reason is clear: I think it's because this was a month where I was able to properly choose my "own standard of temperature" rather than "what society considers correct."

Things I've chosen this month

The article on cold-brew tea that waits overnight was about the luxury of savoring the impatient time itself, resisting the temptation of a 150-yen plastic bottle. Actually, even two weeks after publication, this article is still getting occasional "likes." I'm secretly happy, wondering if my talk about poor circulation resonated with so many people after all.

The article on days when my head feels overheated was about taking a gentle, visual cooling break with my favorite glass and shark-shaped ice, rather than cooling down with a jolt. Reading it back now, I laughed a little at how my love for that ice turned into a longer piece than I expected (lol). Still, I'm genuinely glad I could introduce that ice tray. It's seriously cute.

In the article about the air-conditioned room, I wrote about the 10 minutes spent sipping hot tea while intentionally leaving the window open just a crack in a well-cooled room. It was also in this installment that I made the trivial, unimportant confession that I hate socks more than anything in the world. Thinking about it now, it might have been the article where I revealed the most about myself out of the four.

Looking back, while it seems like they were all aiming for the same goal of "cooling down," the methods were actually completely different. Choosing cold things, choosing hot things, relying on visuals, or relying on the breeze.

There was only one thing that was consistent.
It was just, "choosing what I feel is comfortable right now."

A perfectly refined lifestyle is impossible for me on weekdays.
But I realized over this past month that just by allowing myself to say, "I prefer this right now," my life becomes much more pleasant.

The reason my room is turning into a small tropical paradise

When I pursue that "comfort based on my own standards," the destination is always the same place.
In my case, that is the living room.

In our living room, I loosely unify the interior and fabrics in shades of blue.
Cushion covers, blankets, and the small items on display. I find myself unconsciously collecting colors and patterns that remind me of the sea. There are quite a few coral, seashell, and fish motifs lined up on the shelves, too.

Before I knew it, I had secretly created a tropical resort-like atmosphere in a corner of the room.

To be honest, I've always loved the sea and sea creatures since I was little.
My dream as a child was to work at an aquarium. Among other things, what I seriously admired back then was the job of feeding the sharks (lol). The zookeeper would nonchalantly toss food to a shark gliding up in the large tank. As a child, I was thrilled by that gap, thinking, "That's so cool...!"

When I was entering university, I was seriously torn between going to study "history," which I had been deeply immersed in since junior high, or pursuing a path in "marine biology" research, so it was a dream I couldn't quite give up.

In the end, I was drawn in by the fascination of history, which is why I am who I am today.
But my longing for the sea, even now that I'm an adult, has managed to remain without fading away.

So, in a room kept cool, surrounded by blue fabrics, I suddenly think.

I'd love to go to the Maldives...

It's not a longing that makes me want to shout 'I want to go!' out loud, but rather a longing with just enough warmth to float up and disappear when I take a breather in a cool room.

In August, I will go on a trip while staying at home.

In reality, the days of working according to the calendar will continue, so I have no plans to fly off to the Maldives for the time being.

But, in a glass in a cool room, I feel like I might be able to go a little further away.

So, starting in August, I'm planning to deliver a new series called 'Escape Tea'.

I already have several types of tea on the shelf, serving as tickets for my travels.

The tart and sweet 'Paradise' and the meltingly sweet 'Grenada' are a quick hop to a tropical resort.
The 'Arabian Nights,' with its wafting scent of jasmine, makes me feel a bit mysterious, as if I've wandered into a foreign night market.
The 'British Cooler,' with its cool scent of mint and lemon, is a cup to enjoy the cool British summer with a bit of flair.

In August, when the world is excited about travel, I am alone in my room.
Using the scent of a cup of tea as my ticket, I am slowly preparing to enjoy a secret getaway.

☕ Today's Margin Recipe

I will specially introduce what I was actually drinking and eating while writing this article.

Tea leaves: Lupicia 'Risheehat Moonshine 2026-DJ23'
　　　→ Click here for the introduction article
Accompaniment: Morinaga 'Galette Sand' (Lipton collaboration)
Time: After today's work, one hour before bed
A word: A rather mismatched combination of high-end First Flush and store-bought galette sandwiches.

By the way, this galette sandwich was supposed to be milk tea flavored, but honestly, my impression was just that it was a snack with milk cream sandwiched between moist cookies, and I couldn't really tell it was milk tea (lol).

But this, too, is something I chose because I thought 'this is good' at the time.
Looking back on the month like this at the end of every month has become an opportunity for me to re-examine myself as a person. Since I started note, the end of the month has become a little something to look forward to.

When I looked over

While I was writing, I happened to look at the back of the room and saw my cat occupying the coolest part of the flooring, sprawled out like a fallen soldier.

Seeing that incredibly comfortable, relaxed state, I feel my own shoulders loosening up as well.

Taking that bit of exquisite breathing room for myself, I think I will gently close the page on July.

Editor's Note

Thank you so much for reading all four parts of July's "Summer Tea" to the very end.

Lastly, I have one question I'd like to ask you all.

Well then, the "Escape Tea" series will start in August.
Even if you can't get into the summer vacation mood, you can travel a little further away with a cup of tea brewed at home. I hope you'll join me for that kind of summer getaway.

I'll be waiting for you anytime, brewing a little "breathing room" into your daily life. ☕️🐾