You don't smell so great

So I have a sensitivity (not quite an allergy) to smelly things like perfume, cologne, aftershave, smelly lotions, etc.

I worked at our South San Francisco office today so I took BART down south. On the way home a woman sat next to me who was wearing some sort of lip gloss or perfume that smelled like fake watermelon.

When I smell things like that (not real smells, manufactured smells) I usually feel nauseated and get a headache. And riding on a train doesn't help.

I am finally starting to feel a little better. The 10-minute or so walk from the BART station home with some fresh air helped.

When things like that happen I contemplate on whether I should just move (not always an option on a crowded train), ask the person to move (which I find rude) or just suffer. I have figured out a way to kinda cover my nose with my hand so I can't breath in the smell.

I use Tide Free and the Bounce sheets with no dyes or perfumes. I have to be careful when I buy hair products as many of them have some horrible artificial smells.

People who sit near me at work know of my smell issue and are considerate and not wear a lot of smelly things around me. One time I had to ask a co-worker to not wear that cologne ever again. He is a good friend and I felt comfortable saying something.

Some people feel the need to bathe in their perfume, cologne, aftershave. Ugh! We don't still need to smell you after you leave the room!

And I used to be able to wear perfume and smelly lotions. So I hope I wasn't inconsiderate when I did.

I remember years ago when I lived in Oregon my friend Angela and I went to see the Dalai Lama (which was awesome). In the instructions it mentioned to not wear lotions, hairspray, perfumes, etc. We both found that rather odd. And I was worried about my frizzy hair. But we complied.