Your first trip to the flagship Yankee Candle store in South Deerfield, and many subsequent trips, can be a bit overwhelming. Her Campus took a field trip, and it went something like this:
1. This place is huge.
2. And there are so many people.
3. They have maps of the store?
4. Is this real life?
5. Am I going to get lost?
6. This is a kitchen. I don’t see candles.
7. Oh, there they are.
8. Home and garden stuff?!
9. Alex and Ani, Pandora, Vera Bradley, and candles…I like this place.
10. O.M.G. It’s a room full of candles.
11. You can literally make your own candle.
12. King Candle? Somebody take my picture.
13. You can make wax hands? This place is officially the coolest.
14. Ahh, a man cave… that’s how you get the guys to tag along.
15. A bacon scented candle? NOPE.
16. Hold up, there’s a museum in the store. What?!
17. It’s Christmas!
18. Man, they go all out for the holidays.
19. What’s the Bavarian Village?
20. Apparently it’s a magical place.
21. Where it snows.
22. Is this real snow?
23. Nope, just bubbles.
24. That has to be one of the biggest Christmas trees I’ve ever seen. And I love it.
25. Make a wish!
26. If only child me knew that Santa’s workshop was conveniently located right here in Massachusetts.
27. Christmas is really that soon?
28. This is the cutest area to write letters to Santa.
29. And this is the cutest letter ever written.
30. But where’s Santa?
31. Even as a 21 year old, this is disappointing.
32. It’s okay though, the next room is filled with candy.
33. Just when I didn’t think it could get any better, there’s food.
34. And by food, I mean sweets. Popcorn, caramel apples, fudge, Ben and Jerry’s… yum!
35. Wait… we’re back at the beginning?
36. We’ve been here for how many hours?
37. Let’s come back tomorrow.
All photos courtesy of author.