Scented Memories

This project is a period of my life told through smell memories. To get the full story, please go through the scents in order from first to last.

In 2015 I met Jo through a language exchange website, we started chatting a lot and after a while we fell in love. The problem was he lived in Canada, while I lived in the Netherlands.

This is the story of our relationship.

Me

Introducing me this is me, in 2015. Before I met Jo.

His T-shirt

Jo and I met online, I lived in the Netherlands while he lived in Canada, so we started dating long distance. Scent had always been important to me especially in dating, so before we even met in real life I asked him to send me worn t-shirts from Canada so I could smell his personal scent.

Rotten food

We first met in real life in December 2017, both of us flew to Vancouver airport. He had visited his parents in Japan while I came over to have my Christmas break with him. The first things I smelled when I walked through his apartment door was rotting chicken, he’d forgotten to throw out the raw chicken he had in his fridge before he left for Japan for a few weeks.

Ginger ale

Him

Whilst his body smell is the one that got soaked in his t-shirt, this one is the scent that clung to him often it’s a combination of tobacco and whiskey.

Pickled plum

Date night

Every summer Vancouver holds a fireworks festival, it was tradition for us to watch the fireworks and have drinks afterwards.

Gin & Tonic

Buttered popcorn

Car ride

In the summer of 2018 we went on a houseboating trip with our friends, the car ride there took about 5 hours and was the first time I saw anything of Canada outside of Vancouver.

Hospital

I know there is no lead up to this scent, it came as a shock for me too, beginning of February 2019 Jo had a sudden brain hemorrhage. He passed away in the hospital in Vancouver on February 14th. This series of scents are my most memorable memories about my relationship with him.

Whiskey

As you may have smelled before, Jo was a huge Whiskey fan. When me and his friends were at the ICU we decided we wanted to say goodbye by drinking his favorite. Just before he was taken of life support we all had a sip of whiskey, it’s the last smell that ever got associated with him. I can’t smell whiskey without remembering his goodbye.

Sickness

Me (grieving)

This is me, again. But this time my scent has changed. This is what i smell like when i’'m grieving.