In the Drydown

It’s been a little while since I’ve sat down to write for In the Drydown.

Part of that is simply life. The past several months have been filled with applications, interviews, waiting, more applications, and learning that job searching is as much an emotional marathon as it is a professional one. Some days have been hopeful. Others have been frustrating. There are mornings where it feels like you’re making progress, and others where it feels like you’re shouting into the void.

When so much feels uncertain, I’ve found myself appreciating the little rituals even more.

The first cup of coffee or perhaps a mocha.

An early morning walk.

Taking a few moments to decide what perfume I’ll wear that day.

There’s something comforting about having one small thing you can control before stepping into an unpredictable world.

For me, that fragrance has become Shay & Blue’s Lilacs & Gooseberries.

I’ve reached for it so consistently these past few months that it’s become almost synonymous with this chapter of my life. Every spray feels familiar now and easy, and not in a boring way, but in the way your favorite sweater or well-loved mug becomes familiar. It’s comforting.

Lilacs & Gooseberries isn’t loud. It doesn’t demand attention.

Instead, it quietly reminds me that beauty still exists on difficult days.

The opening is soft, dewy lilacs kissed with the brightness of tart gooseberries. There’s a freshness to it that feels almost hopeful. As it settles, it becomes gentler, like walking through a garden after the morning sun has begun to warm the flowers.

It’s elegant without trying too hard.

And perhaps that’s why I love it so much.

As we move into summer, it’s easy to gravitate toward sparkling citruses or tropical escapes, but this fragrance reminds me of something quieter. It smells like blooming gardens, open windows, fresh air, and the promise that seasons change.

I’ve needed that reminder.

It’s funny how perfume can become an emotional bookmark. Months from now, I’m certain I’ll smell Lilacs & Gooseberries again and remember this season, not only the uncertainty of applications and interviews(or the lack thereof), but also the resilience that carried me through them and continues to do so.

I’ll remember choosing hope each morning anyway.

I’ll remember continuing to write.

I’ll remember believing that eventually the waiting would end.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons we fall in love with fragrance in the first place. We aren’t simply collecting beautiful bottles. We’re collecting pieces of our lives. Perfume becomes woven into memories in ways photographs never quite can. A single breath can transport you back to an entire season.

Right now, this fragrance is my summer.

It’s my reminder that even while I’m waiting for bigger things to happen, there is still beauty to be found in ordinary moments.

And sometimes, that’s enough to carry you into tomorrow.