What scents do you associate with your childhood? This question was asked Andrea Beerbaum in their blog parade. Thank you, dear Andrea, for the invitation to this very special little journey. Memories and experiences are always full of sounds, smells, feelings, and tastes for me. Because I've always gone through life with all my senses. So, when this call came, various smells immediately came to mind that were very present for me as a child and still provide a vivid experience today when I catch a whiff of them. In this blog post, I'll take you on a small, very personal journey back in time. And perhaps the smells I describe here will also trigger one or another memory for you.

Hyacinths

I associate this intense floral scent with family, caring for one another, bringing joy to others, remembering, rejoicing, and welcoming spring. My grandmother always did a big shop at the beginning of spring as soon as there were hyacinths and distributed the flowers among all family members and friends. I even seem to remember that she brought these flowers again and again from March to May. Hyacinth then it would stand in the room where we spent the most time. Initially as a closed flower, and as soon as it bloomed, the air was immediately filled with this wonderful, intense floral scent. Even when you entered the house or apartment, the wonderful scent would greet you. In addition, the bold colors contrasted with the often gray spring sky in the north. For me personally, it was simply an all-around good mood and coziness scent.

Roses and heating oil

My grandparents had a huge garden and heated with heating oil. I associate these two smells with the time I spent with them. Playing on the lawn, the smell of roses, sweet and heavy in the air, simply wonderful. It reminds me of playing with the dog among the many fruit trees, berry bushes, and flower beds. Further back in the garden, towards the shed, the scent of roses mingled with the smell of heating oil, as the oil was stored in a huge tank in that shed. This mixture of rose scent and heating oil was always a little bit on the clothes that were used for working in the garden. Warm and cozy memories come to mind. And when I walk past blooming roses, these images from my childhood are very present again. The same goes for heating oil (though less strongly). However, I have never encountered the combination anywhere else since then.

Horse smell

Having ridden from childhood into adulthood, this smell is filled with incredibly many beautiful memories and a feeling of security. Horses have a special smell. Although it varies somewhat from stable to stable, a horse still smells like a horse. As soon as there's a hint of horse in the air, mixed with the scent of hay, silage, and grass, I feel magically drawn in. I automatically take a deep breath, as if I'm trying to truly turn up the volume on those memories and that cozy feeling. This is sometimes irritating to other people around me, for example, when we pass a pile of horse manure and I take a deep breath with a sigh. I guess I just can't help it.

Conifers, saltwater, and mudflats

Ever since I was born, I've spent my childhood and youth holidays and weekends in a forest in Northern Germany. A conifer forest, at the edge of which a small campsite is integrated. And on this campsite, right in the forest, on the North Sea, I've had most of my most important experiences. This forest smell immediately evokes a sense of peace and security within me. My system shuts down. When I go to the Wadden Sea, that earthy, salty, very special smell of the North Sea, that also grounds me. By the way, this is the place where I still recharge my batteries once a year in August during my vacation.

The scent of people

I also associate specific smells with different people. For example, I find that my mom's perfume has a very special scent. A scent that immediately makes me feel cozy, safe, and loved. My mother always smelled like lavender, soap, Mentos and eucalyptus. Soap and lavender were distributed in all her closets among her clothes and scarves. She always carried Mentos and eucalyptus in her bag for a refreshment in between when her „throat felt scratchy.“ The smell of tobacco (still in the pack) is the smell I associate with Dad. That evokes a feeling of coziness and home for me. Grandpa always smelled of a wood workshop, garden, and heating oil.

Scent memories and feelings are timeless

These smells were present in my childhood and still are today. In any case, it happens more often that I perceive a smell and immediately re-experience corresponding images, including all feelings, in the here and now. I also consciously use many of the scents mentioned above today to trigger positive feelings within me. For example, I have scented oils that remind me of the forest or lavender, and even a bit of cotton wool in a jar that I can sniff. Even today, some hyacinths find their way into my rooms every spring and lull me into a sense of well-being and beautiful memories. That feels like home. A bit of self-care through the sense of smell.