Every once in a while I have one of those experiences I want to hold on to, that I wish would linger a little longer and that I could repeat again and again. This happened last week when my friend Sarah and I visited the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood for holiday tea.
I’ve told you about Sarah before. She’s one of my best friends. We share a ridiculous amount of things in common, from our childhood obsession with cats (we both, as children, used to read Cat Fancy magazine) to our love of Anthropologie and classic literature. We’re both wives and mothers and writers. And we love tea.
Sarah and I hang out frequently. That’s the thing about having babies around the same time: We always have an excuse to get together for a play date. But as the months have gone by and our little babies (and ourselves) have grown increasingly more adaptable, we’ve begun finding ways to get out and enjoy some time together just as friends. As we settled into our large, cozy chairs to enjoy our fireside holiday tea, we talked about our sons, of course, and about writing–two of the topics on the forefront of both of our minds these days. But we also talked about life.
As our Assam steeped in the little white teapots on tables next to our chairs and our host brought us Pimm’s Cups–her recommendation off the menu of English-inspired teatime cocktails–Sarah and I relaxed, taking in the full joy of our experience. Here we were, sitting in a luxurious setting decorated tastefully for Christmas, sitting fireside with warm cups of tea, enjoying good company and one of our favorite mutual activities.
The food which followed was delicious, of course–the still-warm-from-oven berry scone and the little sandwiches with goat cheese, honey, and sliced almonds were among my favorites. But most importantly, they served as a backdrop to a lovely day with one of my best friends.
After we went our separate ways and the afternoon went on, I found myself missing Sarah already. It’s during experiences such as these–when you can carve out time to simply relax together–when we can really connect with friends and share special experiences. After our holiday tea together last week, I think Sarah and I have found a new holiday tradition. I only wish we could do it more often.
Check it out: While the Sorrento usually offers Afternoon Tea on weekends only throughout the year, Holiday Tea is served daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Full disclosure: The Sorrento hosted us for tea.