The word tryst always brings to mind Jawaharlal Nehru’s iconic Tryst with Destiny speech. My tryst however, was with nothing as grand as destiny. It was with a hot beverage – one I mistakenly assumed would be green in color.

I had seen enough green tea memes to sense impending doom when my doctor suggested I switch to it. In a country torn between tea and coffee lovers, I am part of the neglected minority. I like neither. Changing the color of something I already disliked was a plot twist I was not ready for.

My next visit to the supermarket felt like a crime thriller. The green tea rack was a suspect lineup from which I picked the least threatening packet. “How bad can it be?” I naively wondered next morning as I took my first sip. Bad. The memes had been way too generous.

But it was a question of health, so I soldiered on. I experimented with multiple brands – each as undrinkable as the last. But I did learn a few things in the process. The less you dip the tea bag, the less it assaults your taste buds. Take small sips as you eat your breakfast, and it becomes almost tolerable.

I kept at it day after day, until one morning I realized something strange – I was actually looking forward to breakfast. Against all odds, the green tea ritual had grown on me. Fast forward a few days, and there I was enjoying tea. Granted it was green, but still – a miracle nonetheless.

If switching to green tea was this hard, what hope do we have for bigger life changes? Oddly enough, the answer was in the tea itself. Here’s what I learned.

Thus ended my great tea experiment. Will it lead to other good habits? I sure hope so, but only time will tell. For now, I must put my pen down – for a hot cup of tea is calling, and strangely enough, I’m looking forward to it.