Smell Association - Rain

            Rain is my favourite scent, because it reminds me of Germany. When I was younger, I was terrified of the rain. The sudden darkness it brought to the previously bright sky and the brilliant flashes of light followed by the loud bang frightened me. It all seemed like it should be unnatural. When I was ten, my family visited the Baltimore Zoo on a bright August day. As the day progressed, the sky gradually went from a cloudless, pool blue, to a bed covered with a light blanket of clouds. By lunch, only a few number of rain drops had fallen from above, leaving dark stains on the ground where they had touched. As we were visiting the bee house, located at the farthest end of the zoo, we could hear the thunder banging outside like the bass of a rock band. Terrified, I begged to stay indoors until the storm outside blew over. Of course, stubborn as they are, my parents made us continue on through the exhibits. When the door of the bee house was opened to allow us to continue our day at the zoo, the sudden smell of rain filled my nose. Since I usually avoided being the rain, the scent was unfamiliar. We walked out side, my family and I, and within minutes were all drenched through to our bones. The next exhibit on our journey was outdoors, through the trees with the monkeys. As time drew on, the sweet, distinct smell of the rain had mesmerized me; it was the only thing that kept me outside the rest of that day. When I lived in Germany, it was as rainy as El Paso is dry, so when it rains in El Paso I like to go outdoors and stand still, breathing in the sweet, earthly smell that reminds me so much of what I call home.