This Is Us

I Miss Weird Smells

Social distance means we can no longer create shared memories by smelling the world — and each other

Photo: WIN-Initiative/Neleman/Getty Images

What’s the worst smell you can think of? Skunk? Brussels sprouts? Sour milk?

For me, it was a mixture of Coca-Cola, coffee, Gatorade, and rotting bones. The smell was so pungent it clung to my…