I've been drinking tea for a while now, but I honestly can't remember when I started drinking it on a semi-regular basis. I'm pretty sure it started because of my grandparents who have been having a cup of tea every evening around 8:30 for as long as I can remember. They'd ask me if I wanted any and I'd say, "Sure, why not?" Then I'd go to the pantry and pick out my favorite tea: Twinings' Earl Grey or Republic of Tea's Pink Grapefruit Green Tea. Since then, I've tried a host of new flavors and depending on my mood I know exactly which one to pick. Here are six reasons to drink tea.

1. Benefits:

Herbal tea has been found to have a number of benefits, both mental and physical. Like chamomile, which has long been touted for its nerve-calming qualities, or Throat Coat, enhanced with herbs like echinacea and eucalyptus for sore throats and colds. Multiple tea companies even make a tea blend that helps calm symptoms of PMS (um, yes please!). Plus, green tea has been shown to be a good source of antioxidants.

2. Variety:

There are so many different kinds of tea: green, black, white, chai, hibiscus. And all of them with different flavor notes: fruity, spicy, sweet, minty...there's essentially a tea for every mood and every season.

3. Coziness:

In my opinion, there's nothing better than coming home after a blustery, cold winter day (or sometimes even on a warm spring day) and curling up with a mug of tea and a book. There's just something cozy about sitting down in your favorite chair with your favorite tea and letting it warm you from the inside out.

4. Aroma:

Ooh, that smell...the sweet smell of tea brewing. Just inhaling the vapors can make a sore throat or a congested chest feel so much better, especially if it's a herbal variety or a spice variety. And if it's a really strong smell, it even makes your house smell good, no candle needed.

5. Mugs:

If you're like me, you love collecting mugs. Mugs and magnets are my go-to when I'm looking for souvenirs, and a tea habit is the perfect reason to start building your mug collection. So the next time you're in the thrift shop or on a family vacation, and you see the perfect quirky mug, feel no shame in picking it up, taking it home, and adding it to your collection.

6. Combinations:

Tea you can pretty much drink with anything without having to worry about weird aftertastes or ruining the flavor of the tea. With coffee, you can't have anything fruity or it'll throw off the taste of the coffee. With tea, there's no worrying about fruit throwing off the taste. In fact, you can even put the fruit in the tea. Whoa! Let's get brewing!