My heart was beating out of my chest.
I clutched the homecoming sign with my sweaty hands. I felt a little dumb–I’ll admit it– and a little out of place. No one else had a sign except for me.
I had spent at least a month thinking up, the narrowing down, ideas for the poster.
I had never done this before; never done the “homecoming” thing. I didn’t grow up in a military family, I barely knew anyone who served, and so I had gone to the internet. And on message boards and in pictures, it was clear: everyone had a sign.
So I made one too.
And now I stood in a MAC terminal just waiting for my fiance to show his face. The lone person with a poster.
Suddenly, John was walking out from behind frosted glass and I was in his arms, the sign all but forgotten as we hugged… and hugged… and kissed… and hugged more.
Once we pulled apart, he stepped back and looked at his poster. His face lit up.
Later we took selfies with it in the parking lot. Those photos are still treasured by both of us today.
The truth is, there’s no one typical homecoming experience. Everyone lives through something a little different. It might be in the middle of the night or during the day. The time might be moved up and changed every few hours, or you might know about the date and time for weeks on end. Sometimes it’s a huge homecoming; other times it’s more intimate. Maybe it takes place in a parking lot or on a pier or a terminal. Maybe everyone brings posters… or (like in my case) no one does.
Do what makes you happy. And if that means spending a ridiculous amount of time crafting a homecoming sign, more power to you. I totally get it.
Here’s all the homecoming sign inspiration you’ll ever need:
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Steven Hoskins/Released
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Reymundo A. Villegas III/Released)
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Abby Rader/Released)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Taylor N. Cooper)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Taylor N. Cooper)
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven A. Ortiz)
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven A. Ortiz)
(U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Joselyn Jimenez)
(U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Joselyn Jimenez)
(U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Joselyn Jimenez)
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven A. Ortiz)
(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp)
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven A. Ortiz)
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven A. Ortiz)
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven A. Ortiz)
(U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steven A. Ortiz)
(U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class John Brown, 8th Military Police Brigade Chief of Public Affairs)
(U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Alleea Oliver)
(U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp)
(U.S. Air National Guard Photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Tanner Seims)
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Indra Bosko)
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Danny Ray Nunez Jr./Released)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. April L. Price)
(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Kellen Kroening/Released)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isabelo Tabanguil)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isabelo Tabanguil)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Isabelo Tabanguil)
(Marine Corps photo by Sgt. April L. Price)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. April L. Price)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Holly Pernell)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Holly Pernell)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Holly Pernell)
(U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Joseph Pick/Released)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Zachary Orr)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. N.W. Huertas/Released)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. N.W. Huertas/Released)
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Stacy M. Atkins Ricks/ Released)
(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Tara Molle/Released)
(U.S. Air Force photo/Alex R. Lloyd)
(U.S. Air Force photo/Alex R. Lloyd)
(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Andy J. Orozco)
(US Marines Photo)
(US Marines Photo)
(US Marines Photo)
(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Senior Chief Petty Officer Sarah B. Foster)
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Katarzyna Kobiljak/Released)
(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Lealan Buehrer/Released)
(U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Lealan Buehrer/Released)
(US Army Photo)
(Photo by Sgt Angel Galvan)
(US Marines Photo)
(US Marines Photo)
(US Marines Photo)
