smell it.

I have always heard that smells evoke memories more than any of the other five senses, and I full-heartily believe it. 

Smells don't just remind me of things that have occurred, they practically catapult me back in time. Some of the smells are standard, like perfumes & colognes that remind me of those who used to wear them, but other smells that always trigger my memories and nostalgia are pretty weird...

Inhalant medicines like Albuterol 

Mema, me and Papa after my high school graduation.

My Mema Kay has horrible COPD and emphysema then later lung cancer and took inhalers like Albuterol all the time in order to breathe. Now, every time I smell it I feel like she is right there with me.   

Freshly-cut grass, gasoline and dandelions

Remind me of soccer season and the fun I had playing on the field and riding home in the back of the bus, singing (with our cell phones as microphones) and living it up even though we lost every game.

Herbal Essence non-aerosol hairspray and baby powder

I am thrown back to 2005 and my freshman year of college. My roommate and I had just been taught the baby powder in the hair to hide oiliness trick so we used it A LOT. Lindsey also had the thickest head of hair I've ever seen and was all about spraying it down with non-aerosol spray. Just smelling those two smells takes me back to getting ready together in our little dorm room and running back and forth to our suite bathroom to check our hair and makeup.

Hibachi Express & Captain Morgan 

Ugh, remind me of my first Halloween in Greenville when Josh got so sick we didn't even make it to downtown even though I'd come all the way from UNC-Wilmington for the occasion. And yes, I seriously dressed up as Strawberry Shortcake.

But the smell that stands out the most to me is the smell of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls.

My family used to eat cinnamon rolls every Sunday morning before church as long as I can remember. It was such a huge tradition in our house and I always think about being little with curlers in my hair leaning on the arm of our old couch eating them off a TV tray and watching Big Mark iron his dress shirts and the Wendy wearing two different shoes and asking me which looked better.

Do you have any smells that trigger memories?