Hi Elai,
I think it's cool that you care about the sense of smell. I do, too!
I've even read (sorry, but I can't recall where) that of all the senses, more brain space is allocated to the sense of smell than the others.
I've also read that it's suspected that some schizophrenics have a heightened sense of smell and that they are able to tell, for instance, when people are lying because they smell slightly different when they do. (I'm not explaining this very well.. I'll try to find a reference online because it's rather fascinating.)
As a woman, I've noticed that when I hang around a new group of women, our periods all begin to synchronize. I've yet to hear of any studies done about this phenomena, but I suspect that we are somehow coordinating our menses via the sense of smell.
Makes you wonder what else we know about others via odor, doesn't it? Perhaps the reason, at times, that we have a hunch about someone's motives is that we are tacitly aware of what their odors are revealing.
Now... about you and
your nose. Have you ruled out something as simple as allergies? Even mild ones can impair your sense of smell.
Also, I've found that taking short little sniffs can really help me to become aware of an odor. This is a good time of year to take a walk and spend some time sniffing fresh blossoms. Try "gulping" the air by taking 4 or 5 quick sniffs. You may think this is silly, but it really works. (And go ahead and laugh, but I came up with this technique from watching my dog when I was a kid!)
Barring that, you may want to check out this article:
Sharpen Your Sense of Smell and Taste: Every Bite and Sniff
Best wishes on your quest to smell! I'm interested in hearing about how it goes for you.
Tui