I was fortunate enough to be able to grab a quick weekend getaway with my husband, Bryan. We delighted in fabulous food and craft beers. Part of my plan was to visit the local tea shop, sit back, relax and share a beautiful pot of tea with my hubby. But, unfortunately they were closed for the day—oh no! What was I going to do for my tea fix? If I were into coffee, I would have been in haven as we walked by coffee houses and roasters block after block. However, as a lover of loose tea, I was completely discouraged by my options. The extent to how spoiled I am regarding access to good tea became painfully clear as my quest kept coming up dry. This is the plight so many customers express to us, as well as one of the main reasons for starting Discover Teas.

If you too dread to find yourself in a situation where you’re staring at the pitiful tea bag thrown in next to the hotel room coffee maker (shiver), here are a few things you can do to be prepared!

• Stock up on your favorites before leaving to be sure you have them on hand when packing for your trip.
• Folding-handle infusers are the bomb for traveling! Compact, versatile, durable with plenty of room for even the largest of tea leaves to fully express. Whip this puppy out in your hotel room or even going out to eat. Sure you may get a few weird looks, but hey, be proud and flaunt it! Besides, the travel case doubles as a drip catcher so you're good to go for multiple steeps
• Don’t want to bother with the clean up? Bag up your tea ahead of time using disposable paper tea filters pre-filled with your own loose leaf.
• The tricky dilemma is the hot water source. If all you have is the coffee maker to heat your water, you may want to think about asking room service for a cup or go to the hotel dining area/bar. Cross your fingers.
• Skip the worry of how to heat water all together! No hot water necessary with our Urban Tea Tumbler cold-brewing system, just good water and tea. You’ll have a smooth cuppa in about 10 minutes, or if thinking ahead, stick it into the mini-fridge over night. Take it along with you for all-day access to good tea; plus a great way to stay well hydrated when walking about or sitting on a plane. Simply carry it through security while empty and fill at a water fountain after you're through! And if you do have access to hot water, it works great for hot-brewing too!

While I was taken a bit off guard this trip, I won’t be left out in the cold for our next vacation. I must admit I felt a bit of a calling and a mission to take care of my fellow tea lovers—coming to their rescue and saving the neglected tea drinkers out there! Hmm, what would the world be like if Discover Teas were found everywhere to pamper and comfort?

Love. Purpose. Gratitude. From the moment we opened our first Discover Teas in March, 2011, our purpose has been to spread love through tea, making the world a better place one cup at a time. We are passionate about tea; however tea is simply the vehicle in which moments, memories, peace, connections, and healing can all be made. We hear time and time again from our tea family the impact tea has made in their life. With that, it is very validating to know that what started as a small dream has grown beyond my expectations. Even so, we are daring to dream larger.

When I first learned of the Chase Mission Main Street Grant program in which Chase is rewarding 20 small businesses across the country a $100,000 grant, I was hesitant to even toss Discover Teas into the hat. The competition has to be extremely tough. What would catch the eye of the judges to stand out as a contender? It became clear to me; it is our heart and the strong certainty in our purpose. So we began the application process.

Being a small business in today’s economic climate is incredibly difficult, not to mention competing with big box stores and huge corporate pocketbooks. Winning a cash infusion of $100,000 would be a game changer for us! In our proposed business plan for the grant, these funds would be put towards marketing, staffing, packaging and our online presence. We are daring to dream of taking the Discover Teas brand to the next level in the industry!

It’s not easy to put yourself out there, take a risk, and ask for support from all of those you know. But that’s what it’s taking for us now in this stage of Discover Teas’ evolution. In order to get us to the next round of qualifications in the grant process, we need to get 250 unique Facebook votes for Discover Teas. If each one of you took a minute to click on the link below, we could be in the running!! Your tea family is asking for your support now, and only our fans can help make this dream a reality. Vote today and spread the word in support of our small business! Forever grateful, your tea family at Discover Teas <3 

UPDATE 6/12/15: We hit our goal of fan votes to become eligible for the grant review process!! Thank you so much for all who voted and helped us get the word out! Now it is out of our hands and into the hands of the judges. Winners will be announced in September. Keep fingers crossed!