What does home smell like?

Home smells like charred whole wheat toast. The kind that sets off the fire alarm or makes you open a window (or five). Also, all the crumbs of God only knows what stuck at the bottom of the toaster.

It smells like celery that’s been sitting in the fridge crisper way too long and last night’s beans and rice.

It’s all the dust-covered vinyl records, and psychology textbooks that haven’t been looked at in decades, old people furniture, and expired potpourri.

Eucalyptus. Wet pavement. Morning fog.

It’s sizzling onions and garlic, medium-roast coffee grounds, half-empty Tresemme shampoo bottles.

It’s latkes and wet clay, lemon ginger tea, chalky air from the heating vent, and the sour drawer of clothes nobody wears or wants to give away.

Costco brand Tide Pods and 99 Cent store hand soap.

Burnt buttermilk pancakes and box mix brownies.

Tea tree oil and gardenia perfume.

It’s everything and nothing, all at once.