Narrative/Descriptive Essay

NARRATIVE/DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY Narrative/Descriptive Essay – Rough Draft Maria Maciocia

I will never forget the day my husband returned from his eight-month deployment to Afghanistan as a United States Marine in 2011. That period in time was the longest and most emotional eight months of my life. Day by day, month-by-month, my long, arduous wait was coming to a close. Eight months of built up anxiousness. My husband's return home was truly a reason for immense celebration.

My husband’s return home started as a typical warm, bright, and sunny Hawaiian morning. The only difference, and quite ironically, was this day fell on Thanksgiving Day. I did not have a wink of sleep the night before. I tossed and turned in our lonely bed, excitedly imagining what it would be like to finally be in my husband’s arms again. Hours later, the sun came up and I couldn’t bear another second of the anxiousness in waiting for this day to begin.

Butterflies filled my belly as I heard the morning birds chirping. I sprang out of bed and dashed madly around the house trying to ensure everything was perfect for his return. During one point of that day, while getting myself ready, I remember looking in the mirror in utter disbelief. Looking back, I couldn’t believe the day I had spent eight long months imagining had finally arrived! All the tears of stress and worry were finally subdued.

I was now overcome with tears of joy. Adding to all of this, I was a substantial 60 pounds lighter than the day my husband left for Afghanistan. So I was nervous not only for the reunion, but for his reaction to the drastic changes of my physical appearance. However, I felt confident about the positive changes I had made in my life while he was gone. I was excited to share the new me with him.

So I put my sleek pink dress over my new body, and buckled my shoes. Armed with a homemade welcome home banner, I made my way over to the hangar where I would meet him straight off the plane. Upon arriving at the hangar, the first thing I could not help notice was the amazing level of happiness that filled the building. Wives were smiling and laughing, as they too nervously awaited their husbands. The Marine Corps brass band was playing popular songs that echoed throughout. You couldn’t help but feel intoxicated by the overwhelming joy in the air.

Paper For Above instruction

In this narrative and descriptive essay, the author vividly recounts the emotional experience of welcoming her husband back from an eight-month deployment in Afghanistan. The narrative captures the anticipation, excitement, and emotional intensity of the reunion, detailed through sensory descriptions and personal reflections. The essay begins with the setting on a sunny Hawaiian morning, poignantly coinciding with Thanksgiving, which emphasizes the significance of the day. The author describes her sleepless night of anxious anticipation, the physical and emotional transformations she underwent, and the joyful chaos of waiting at the hangar filled with other wives and the uplifting sounds of a Marine band.

This piece effectively employs descriptive language to immerse the reader in the scene, highlighting the poignant moments of hope and love. The author's focus on physical changes and emotional vulnerability creates a relatable and heartfelt story about devotion and perseverance. The vivid description of her preparation, the atmosphere at the hangar, and the emotional buildup enrich the storytelling, making the experience tangible to the reader. Overall, the essay is a compelling narrative of reunion that explores themes of hope, change, and the enduring strength of love.

References

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