December 21, 2025
There is a very specific smell that only appears when people travel. You don’t notice it in your house. You don’t notice it at work. You notice it in airports, buses, cars packed too full, and coats that have seen too many hours.
Why does travel do that to us?
Part of it is physical. Stress sweat is real. Sitting still for long stretches changes how your body behaves. Layers trap things. Dehydration shows up everywhere. Add unfamiliar food and broken sleep and you’ve got a perfect storm.
But part of it is psychological.
When you travel, you leave your normal containment systems behind. Your routine. Your timing. Your control. You’re reacting instead of managing. You’re waiting instead of executing. Your body is in a low-level alert state, even if you’re excited.
That tension has a smell.
What I find interesting is how universal it is. Everyone smells a little off. Everyone looks a little tired. Everyone is slightly disoriented. No one is at their polished best.
And yet, that’s where some of the most human moments happen. Shared eye rolls in security lines. Small kindnesses. Quiet generosity. Temporary communities formed by inconvenience.
Travel exposes us. It strips away the illusion that we’re always put together. It reminds us that we’re bodies as much as minds. That movement costs something.
So maybe the question isn’t why people smell funky when they travel. Maybe it’s why we expect growth, connection, and change to come without any discomfort at all.
What do you think?
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