Okay, so I was doing this crossword puzzle the other day, you know, just chilling and trying to keep my brain active. And this clue comes up: “beverage with tapioca pearls.” I’m thinking, “Alright, this should be easy, I love this stuff!” But then, my mind just went completely blank. I stared at it for like, five minutes, totally stumped.
Trying to figure out
I started running through all the drinks I could think of. Smoothies? Nope. Milkshakes? Nah. I even started considering weird stuff like bubble tea lattes, even though I knew that wasn’t a common crossword answer.

- Tried remembering every drink name.
- Think about the different flavor.
- Got frustrated.
I felt so dumb! It’s such a simple thing, and I drink it all the time. I could picture the drink, the little chewy pearls, the sweet milky taste… but the actual NAME just wouldn’t come to me. It was right on the tip of my tongue!
The “Aha!” Moment
Finally, I decided to move on. I figured I’d come back to it later. I started working on other clues, filling in letters here and there. And then, BAM! It hit me. “Bubble tea!” Of course! How could I forget that?
It was such a relief. I quickly filled in the letters, feeling super satisfied. It’s funny how the brain works sometimes. You can be so close to the answer, but it just needs a little nudge, a little detour, to finally click. And so that’s I finally got the answer – Bubble tea.