Normally, I’d leave this blog to discuss audio and gaming-related things only (more-so audio, of course). I’d like to break away from that at least for this one post.

Today, it rained lightly. I was coming out of the grocery store, and the smell of wet asphalt was all around me, and it was wonderful. Which brings me to the purpose of this post…

Top 3 Favourite Smells:

  1. Hotel hallways – Not many people agree with, or understand, me on this one, but I must say, my all-time favourite smell is that of a well-kept hotel (possibly motel) hallway. There must be some sort of industry-standard issued cleaner that does it for me, I don’t know, but ever since I was young, the hallway aroma of any given hospitality establishment makes me eternally happy.
  2. Wet asphalt – Before my 6th birthday, when we moved in with my grandmother in her house, I lived in a regular, everyday subdivision. I recall playing out in the rain a lot, be it racing my toy motorbikes up and down the curb with my friend Kyle, or running up and down the street with my friend Mark. I wouldn’t normally be outside when it was pouring, as kids get sick at the drop of a barely-diseased hat, but I have always loved that feeling of an impending storm, and the scent of the pavement as it was pelted with water. Playing outside in Kyle’s backyard, with Tonka dump trucks in his sandbox, hearing the far off boom of thunder; for me there is no greater memory.
  3. Newly-constructed house – Again, before moving in with my grandmother, I seem to remember my parents and I attending a lot of open-houses of not-yet-painted builds. The clean-but-dusty, bare wood smell of an empty house not yet lived in is fantastic, and I really suggest anyone reading this to at least check out an open-house, even if you have no intention of buying. The ‘new car smell’ doesn’t even compare.

So, tell me, what would your favourite smells be?