Rain in the Borderland has a unique smell, one man made it into a perfume

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Not everyone can smell the rain.

That smell comes from El Paso's Creosote Bush because it releases a compound called petrichor when wet. One man bottles real-life scents, not brand-name perfumes, from the rain to just about anything.

"I bottle objects, feelings, childhood. Favorite smell. God's creation. Anything. Name it. If you can imagine, I can bottle it," Sami Miri told ABC-7 during an interview. He's the owner of Ziba Fragrances in West El Paso.

"My mother is Persian. My father is from UAE. I was born in UAE. I was around my father at a young age in the shop. You just no social life, no nothing. He's like, hey, come work with me. You know?" said Sami.

Sami also says making unique scents from parts of life is part of his culture.

"When you have, family coming, you you give them candies, you give them, chocolates over there. You know, we give them chips of fruit, we give them, we make them smell good before coming in," said Sami.

Sami doesn't stop at rain. He's bottled the smell of hospitals, libraries and even car oil.

For Sami, a single whiff can transport him bak to a moment in time, a place, or a feeling.

"Favorite gum, favorite drinks that they don't make anymore and put in a bottle. And you take back people in time and their reactions. Some get emotional, some get happy, some get, you know, that's my favorite part of being here," said Sami.

His collection grows with every request, one perfume bottle at a time.

"I'm making them emotions. I get, you know, from them, like, the body language and how I can take them back through a time in a bottle," Sami told ABC-7 during an interview.

In a fast-paced world, Sami reminds us that even the quietest scents can carry the deepest meaning.