What scent takes you back to a childhood memory?

Question

When I smell chocolate milk in a carton it reminds me of the school cafeteria when I was in first and second grade .....

Answer 1

wood smoke, autumn, falling leaves, frost at night, the stars bigger and brighter, you can see your breath early in the morning and the evenings, bringing out winter sweaters and quilts, school starting, spending more time indoors beside the stove reading, going for huckle berries, pouring cream over them and sugar, hmm so good, watching out for bears in the orchard, hallowe'en, putting up fruit, making jam -

But also camping at the lake in the summer - sunburned shoulders and noses, water logged from swimming all day, roasting hotdogs, marshmallows, listening to the loons on the lake -

I get a little "misty" when I am out somewhere and smell wood smoke, such poignant memories

Answer 2

You guys that live in the far south won't know this one, but everyone above the 40th parallel should be able to remember...the smell of the earth when it first thaws in Spring. It is a unique and clean smell, and always signals to me the rebirth of green after a long and cold winter.

I think I was only about five years old when I first noticed it. But I have waited to smell that scent every year since, and taught my daughters and grandsons how to tell that spring was actually coming by that same smell.

Answer 3

The beautiful scents from Lilac bushes in the Spring reminds me of my life on the farm with Grandma and Grandpa. The flowers...Lilies of The Valley also in the Spring reminds me of leaving for high-school in the mornings in Indianapolis when the air was still brisk and cool. Blue Waltz perfume for little girls that I wore. They don't sell it anymore but I managed to find a bottle in Tennessee on vacation a few years back. I was thrilled when I opened it and smelled that sweet smell again. ( we don't have Lily Of The Valley flowers here in Texas.)

Answer 4

The scent of the earth after rain. I remember sitting on my Big Mommy porch in the swing seeing how clear and clean everything was. I loved the smell. I was 5 or six at the time.

Answer 5

The smell of Oil reminds me of Great Grandfather Oscar and his Old Model T...even then FORD stood for Fix Or Repair Daily. (Sorry Oscar.) He was the original owner ... it remained one of his favorite toys. I have lots of fond memories of his "Let's see how she's feeling today"-system checks before literally Cranking the car. We'd "take her into town" for Icecream on Sunday. I still associate the smell of Icecream with Oil.

He died at 96, when I was 10. His second childhood was as dear to me as my first.

Answer 6

Diesel smoke: riding the Greyhound buses.
Cigar smoke: Detroit bus station.
Emeraude perfume: my first real love from sophomore to senior and summer after wore it often. SIGH
Wrigley's Spearmint Chewing gum: my mother's purse always smelled like it.

Answer 7

The smell of old school pancakes that you make with milk, egg and pancake batter, butter and karo syrup.

also the smell of trix the cereal

Answer 8

This one bush...I don't know what it is but when it dries up it smells really good when you are walking on it and crunching all the dead twigs to let out the smell. I used to do that all of the time

Answer 9

The smell of a lilac bush always brings me back to climbing into them had having my mother bring me down from climbing too high.

Answer 10

Carbolic Soap. It was always in the toilet. I still sometimes wish i could have a good game of Top Trumps and I'm 41 years young.