Deployment Homecoming

Homecoming date: February 4, 2018

After 369 days away, J finally came home! Our year-long deployment experience started on January 31, 2017 and ended on February 4, 2018. J deployed solo so there wasn’t a whole squadron homecoming like you often see on social media, it was just him returning home by himself like a normal passenger at an airport and just us there to greet him.

Our small hometown has a tiny airport with only three flights in every day. J was arriving in Atlanta at about 3pm and if he had connected on to Valdosta, he would have a long layover and not arrived until 9:40pm. So instead, C and I decided to drive to Atlanta and meet him there.

We woke up early on February 4 and drove to Atlanta, getting there with plenty of time to spare. We were disappointed to find out that J’s flight had been delayed nearly two hours. Instead of leaving the airport and returning later, we stayed, got snacks and drinks from the Starbucks, and then sat talking to others and people watching.

We talked for a while with a guy who was waiting for his wife to arrive and heard a fascinating story about how his family escaped from Thailand when he was a child. We also talked with a family who was waiting for their son to arrive home after spending the past few years attending a university in Germany. Everyone in an airport has a story, especially those in the international terminal.

We were extremely lucky that we got to see J twice during his deployment: once in Europe for his R&R break in September, and once in Colorado where he was sent for a conference in October. It had only been about three months since we last saw him but this time was extra special knowing that we wouldn’t have to say goodbye again.

We waited behind a roped area along with many other people waiting for their loved ones. When J walked out of the secure area pushed a cart of his bags, C ran to him and he picked her up and swung her around. Those are the moments that tug hard at your heartstrings.

After we left the airport, we headed to a hotel suite in Atlanta to stay for the night instead of driving three hours home right away. Some family friends who live in Atlanta met us for a little celebration at the hotel restaurant that evening.

The next day we drove south to our home in Valdosta. J had not seen our house or our dog Dulce for over a year. I went inside first and let Dulce out the front door to meet J in the yard. She was SO excited to see him! Dogs never forget their people, no matter how long.

Now that J is home, we have a busy few months ahead of us while we also try to readjust to normal family life. First we are going to Destin, Florida to see J’s parents who are wintering there, then we are going on 7-day Disney cruise in March for our homecoming celebration, and then we need to prep and sell our house in anticipation of moving to Virginia in June!

We are so thankful to have made it through the year and to be reunited again. All is right with our world once again.

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“Together is my favorite place to be.”