Welcome Home

Welcome Home!

With my boyfriend returning from a 6 month deployment in Afghanistan, I thought it only appropriate to write a post on welcoming your loved one home. Military homecomings are filled with more emotion than you can imagine -- excitement, anxiousness, nervousness, joy, the list goes on. It only seems fitting to throw a big party to celebrate this special day, right? Maybe not. Before you start calling everyone in your phone book here are some things to consider:

-Your loved one has just traveled for 3-5 days to return home and there is a very high possibility that they need a shower, they're tired, and they're hungry. Socializing with a large group of people and playing catch up is probably the last thing on their mind.

-They have been surrounded by the same group of people for the past 6 months to a year (or more!) doing the same thing day in and day out -- reintegrating back into normal life at home might be a little bit of a process and too many people too fast may be overwhelming.

-If your loved one is anything like my boyfriend, all they want to do to is shower and relax on the couch with you and a glass of Jameson. Plus, admit it, you probably want some alone time too!

With that said, consider waiting about a week or so before hosting a Welcome Home event. Try to keep a small and intimate atmosphere by inviting only those nearest and dearest to the both of you for a low key dinner party. Keep decorations simple, consider purchasing a custom banner for the day of the homecoming and reusing it at the party. When it comes to a menu, brainstorm his or her favorite foods -- it has been a long time since they have eaten anything remotely delicious and their appetites will be endless! Lastly, just enjoy yourself! Don't get overwhelmed with details -- in this case, your company is all they really need.

Useful links:

AllRecipes


www.buildasign.com/troops