Ashmanra’s Sipdown Challenge | July 2023 | A tea that makes you smile
I wasn’t intending to use this tea for this prompt, but I made the last serving of it into an iced tea, and it unlocked a memory that really did make me smile!
Back in high school, at the height of my Lord of the Rings obsession, I was super active in various online LotR fandom communities (and was known by my elf name * hair flip emoji *). I befriended a group of fellow fans, and we chatted over AIM pretty frequently. One gal had a penchant for Snapple’s peach iced tea, which she called by its initialism/acronym: SPIT. I remember trying SPIT a few times, just because I knew she liked it.
When I sipped this iced tea today, I had a sudden memory of SPIT, which reminded me of those innocent days where I basically lived on the internet and would stay up till 6:00 in the morning over summer vacations, talking with my friends on AIM until I heard my parents wake up, at which point I’d scamper into bed and hope not to get caught. Those were the days! I often miss the internet of the early aughts, which I think is why I appreciate Steepster — it reminds me of those early, tight-knit, often fandom-based communities and forums!
2023 sipdown count: 41
SPIT. Love it!
Oh, AIM chats and early internet! Such a great throwback memory!
OMG AIM, back when my handle was something like XxColdBlackFlamesxX LMAOOOOO! So embarrassing… XD
What a time to be alive, eh?!