northern lights & olfactory adventures

I woke up this morning after a night of uninterrupted sleep. Which is a rarity for me. Usually waking between the morning hours of three and four for at least a few minutes. Upon opening social media after some morning meditation, I found myself feeling almost giddy when most of the photos that appeared on my feed during my slumber were those of the sky. The captions communicated a sense of wonderment and awe of the northern lights that everyone was experiencing from different parts of the state and even the country was a welcomed feeling compared to what social media usually provides. May it serve as a reminder that we are all part of something much bigger than ourselves. The feeling almost brought me to tears – but that could also be attributed to the fact that I am really going through it emotionally these days.

I find myself thankful in the moment that nothing lasts forever.

This energy has carried over into inspiration and honestly, it’s been a beautiful way to start my day. It derived my desire to write this piece, and I am already thinking about what kind of painting I can pull from the inspiration that has presented itself before me. Truly, a wonderful thing in times of what can only be perceived as chaotic.

I have found myself in a sense of nostalgia lately. These thoughts being born from something as simple as a bike ride I had taken recently. Yet another thing that I hadn’t done for at least a couple of decades. Still feels weird to me that I have been around for a length of time that I can pull from my memory something happening decades ago.

What a gift.

The ride ended up being 24 miles round trip, with a stop to see a waterfall in the middle. When you’re biking around a city there are a lot of things to take in. One of the most common being the surrounding smells.

The human sense of smell is unique in comparison to the other sensory systems in that the human sense of smell is one where the nerves are directly connected to your brain, surpassing the thalamus to get to the cortex. More specifically, the sensation is poured directly into the limbic system which is a part of the brain that is heavily connected to memory and emotional processes. It’s for this reason that the sense of smell has the ability to transport us through time or generate different feelings more easily than most senses.

For me, the smell combination of bacon and coffee will forever place me in the kitchen and dining room of my grandparent’s ‘big white house’ that no longer stands at the end of Budrow Ave in Pengilly. The smell of a mechanics garage and exhaust will forever remind me of my father and while I have only been to a morgue once, the smell of human death is one thing that has been imprinted on my psyche that I could pluck out of anywhere.

During this bicycle trip, I was reminded of my first job and the people I worked with upon passing a small, local pizza place. The scent of charcoal made me think of the early years of my life when my family lived in the trailer park on Edgewater Drive, and the little yellow grill we had outside. Coincidentally, the first place I learned to ride a bike. The scent of a Harley arouses a memory of freedom, and how I came to determine motorcycle is by far, my favorite way to travel. With the smell of a bonfire came a sense of friendship and made me miss the nights under the stars that I have spent having conversations with some of my most favorite people I’ve come to know in this life.

I find myself missing them in this moment.

The smell of damp earth will forever remind me of all the solitude I have found on hikes these past couple of years where I have done a lot of my growing and coming to terms with several painful endings, but also new beginnings. The perspective of duality is important; two things can be true at once.

The scent of corn dogs will always remind me of the state fair, and burned popcorn will remind me of the third floor of the building I used to work in with some of my favorite coworkers I ever got to experience. It also reminds me of the times I would cry in my office over the stresses of my job and offers perspective that time had served its purpose, and is some place emotionally I never wish to return.

It’s funny how one 24 mile trip with one destination can bring you on an adventure through the archives of your life.

& people say aroma therapy isn’t real.

Interesting,

xo-jess