The human sense of smell is a wondrous thing, especially when it comes to memories.
A couple months ago I was driving home through one of the less-urban, more heavily wooded residential areas of Denver right after a freak thunderstorm. It smelled exactly like walking through the meadows on my grandparents' old property in western Massachusetts.
My new garage smells like my grandfather's workshop on that same property.
As I got in the elevator to leave work this afternoon, I was greeted with the sweet, flowery smell of my great aunt's attic, something I hadn't consciously thought of in decades.
I always assign the scent of Fig Newtons to my grandmother's kitchen. She had them a lot, but you wouldn't think the smell would have been that strong! Certain colognes can bring back a sharp memory from twenty years ago. And have you ever noticed that certain people's homes have their own scents? I'm not talking kitty litter or Glade. . . jut a unique signature, particularly if you have a strong connection to the person.
The olfactory system is a much more primal system than the cerebrum—it often evokes emotions before we conciuosly determine what is going on. I love going to a B&B is Flagstaff because its smell takes me back to my grandparents' home. Oh what a euphoria!