The smell of teak wood always brings me back to that day. It was the early 80s and I was with my family in a wood merchant’s store in Illinois. I noticed this wooden block that was shaped like a bar of soap. The wood was oily to the touch and it smelled earthy. I eventually realized that the box had a sliding lid. My family and I wandered about the store, but I kept going back to that secret box. My dad asked me if I had enough money to buy it and I said that I did. I bought that box which I still have to this day and I still love the smell of teak wood too - there’s nothing quite like it.

Amy from Illinois