More than any of our other senses, scent is connected to memory. We’ve all had that experience of catching a whiff of something and instantly being transported back to Thanksgiving at grandma’s house, to an amazing vacation, or to the first day of summer. But in a day and age where it’s becoming more and more common to move away and settle down in a completely different state, it’s easy to feel disconnected from the place we call home. Enter Homesick Candles.

Launched in February of 2016, the brand came about after three friends living in New York City got together and realized that none of them were actually from New York. They began chatting about the things from their home states that they missed and realized that they could tap into that olfactory trigger to create a product that brought back those memories of home. After launching with the candles of their home states – Florida, Georgia, and Texas – they quickly saw demand from people all over the US wanting candles from their states.

Fast forward almost two years and the brand has expanded their range to include all 50 states, a variety of cities and countries, as well as memories like “Summer Camp” and “Friday Night Football Game.” We sat down with general manager Melany Lynch who gave us an insider’s look at Homesick.