On my way home from work several days ago, I caught the scent of something delightful that I haven’t experienced for a long time — the smell of fresh rain.
Ok, so you are probably wondering — it rains all the time — what’s so special about this one occasion? Well thing is, if you live in a city like I do, rain is never really an enjoyable experience. The sidewalks are slippery, the buses are crowded and smelly, the sewer overflow leaving horrible odors, fast moving cars splash puddles on to unsuspecting pedestrians, and if you are commuting — expect tons of delay due to traffic accidents. So, like I said, rainy days are not much fun for city dwellers.
However, this experience was different. I just happened to be walking by a park with green grass, early spring flowers, there were no people around shoving and pushing their way to nowhere, no cars or taxi cabs frantically honking their horns, and best of all the rain was very fresh.
The smell is not something I can describe, and at the time of this writing, I have completely forgotten what it smells like. But it just smells very earthy and natural. A very instinctual smell, maybe even something that evolution has taught us to enjoy because it means new life is coming and fresh water is plentiful.
Whatever it is, the smell of fresh rain something very magical. Many companies have tried to capture this scent in their product, but what they can produce pale in comparison to the real thing…