Are there any fragrances that bring you back? Like, really bring you back. Make you feel something you once felt, like you’re back there feeling it all over again.
There are a lot of things that do that for me, but one that really stands out is Earl Grey tea. Who knew a fragrance could be so powerful? The smell literally transports me back to the Ritz Carlton in New York City where I sipped it on cozy afternoons in our suite on the seventh floor. I associate that scent so strongly with my perch on the window seat in that fabulous room, gazing out at 6th Avenue and Central Park below, tears running down my cheeks as I wondered how I ever got so lucky.
It also reminds me of chilly nights in Hawaii—especially one night in particular, when Matthew and I dined outside and watched a breathtaking fire show. I was cold, and I ordered some Earl Grey tea. I still remember how good and warm it felt going down, and how nice it smelled, and how happy I was.
I didn’t always love Earl Grey, though. In fact, our relationship started out quite rocky, before I ever tried it. For the longest time it reminded me of a particularly annoying customer at the restaurant where I used to wait tables. He was one of those older men that thought he was reeeally hip and cool, and would roll up in his SUV with the bass blaring, like he wanted everyone to know he was coming. Every single time he came in for breakfast he would ask if we had Earl Grey tea, and every single time I would tell him no. Still don’t have Earl Grey tea. Only Orange Pekoe. Just like last time and all the times before.
So whenever I used to think of Earl Grey tea, I thought of that guy at the restaurant and how I sort of wanted to punch him in the face. But then I tried it one day in New York City, on a trip a man I hardly knew surprised me with (that man is now my husband). And Earl Grey will always be the fragrance of my very fondest memories.
What brings YOU back?
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