Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Following my nose home

The smells as I walk the five floors of my apartment building take me into the lives of so many people.  As I begin climbing the stairs, the smell of onion and garlic make me realize how hungry I am.  The aroma of a cooking dinner draws me up the stairs at a quicker pace.  I breathe in the smell of italian food as I pass apartment 2E.  


I continue climbing towards the next floor, now thinking of what I have in my refrigerator & how it will never compare to the dinner I just walked past.  


The next level brings me to the fragrance of a newly cleaned apartment, one that smells like Febreeze and maybe even a scented candle.  The excitement of Spring being just around the corner carries me beyond 3B’s spring-cleaning-scents.


Making my way to the 4th floor, I am immediately transported back to my first month in New York City.   In the SOHO sublet apartment I was crashing, there were many people who ended their evening - or maybe began it, by toking into relaxation.  The unmistakable scent reminded me of the excitement I felt being new to the city & dreaming of all the opportunities that lied ahead of me.  


As I pass the open window on the final set of stairs leading up to my apartment, I feel the chilled air rushing in and smell the comforting scent of laundry tumbling slowly around in a hot dryer as the fabric-softened-scented-exhaust wafts into the stairwell.  


My final few steps of the climb to the 5th floor bring me the scent of South Asian cooking.  The exotic smells transport me to a place of color, beaches, coconuts and lemongrass...


And then I open my door and find myself home. 

1 comment:

John Helmer said...

Hhmmmmm. I'm hungry. I would love to come contribute some lovely cooking smells in your building.

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