Jodi Payne's Top 5 Favorite Scents

I was reading a fascinating article the other day about our sense of smell. Unlike our sense of sight and our sense of hearing, which are linked to language in our brains, our sense of smell is closely linked with memory. Think about it, we all know what "square" looks like or "blue". We all understand what a high-pitched note is or if something is loud. But when we try to describe things we smell, we have to resort to other references we think people understand. It smells like skunk. It smells like rotten garbage. It smells like grandma’s kitchen. 

We can’t describe smells the way we can more concrete things because of the way our brain is wired. But we can try. These are my top 5, I want to see if you agree!

1. Coffee. For me, the smell of brewing coffee is comforting. Soothing. It’s the smell of morning, of routine, of starting a new day. It’s warm and reassuring. I can feel more alert just smelling coffee without even drinking it.

2. Bread baking. Mmmm. You all know what I’m talking about. But I can’t describe what that smell *is*. It’s the smell of my favorite bakery early Sunday morning. Like coffee, it’s comforting to me.

3. New baby smell. You moms know what I'm talking about. It's that smell right on the top of a baby's head, right? Just stick your nose there and inhale. It's a smell they all just have, and keep for a year or so. It doesn't smell like anything else in the world, I have no way to describe it if you don't know what I mean.

4. Garlic. Dinner time! I love garlic. This scent is heavily tied to taste for me, but even so, nothing smells like garlic. Garlic smells… well, just like it tastes. When it comes to garlic I’m a more is more girl.

5. Fresh cut grass. You know that smell right? It smells… green (that’s a color, I know). Fresh. Like spring. It’s a shame I’m highly allergic to it. The good news is that I recognize it and and I know to shut all my windows.

What are your favorite scents? Why? What to they remind you of?