2023 was the year that I (briefly, thankfully) experienced anosmia. After three years, COVID finally got me, and I lost my sense of smell for about a week. The only perfume that just barely, faintly registered was Slumberhouse Norne; everything else was just blank. It felt a bit surreal. I became paranoid that something could be burning in another room and I wouldn’t know. What surprised me most was how much this affected my experience with food. I take for granted how much I smell my food while I’m cooking, and smell ingredients to check on them before I use them—not to mention how faint the flavors tasted. For that week, food became more about texture. It was a jarring experience overall, and when I finally detected the smell of a grapefruit-scented bath soak, it was a relief.