BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Etiquette "Post-travel" communication?

A few months ago, I returned home from an extended (3-week) vacation. Close friends knew my general travel dates. Upon returning, is there an accepted "etiquette" on who calls who? I was brought up with the premise that the 'non-traveling' party calls to wish the 'traveling' party a "bon voyage", and also initiates a "welcome home" call at some point.

Several of these close friends insisted that I, the traveler, had to call THEM to inform them that I had arrived home. I thought that very odd, and was curious to see what you'all felt???

Thanks,
K.

Well, I have no etiquette dictate on this at this moment so I'm giving my own personal opinion, but I will research this and reply at a later date.

If this are truly close friends, it should not matter who calls who first. But it's my opinion that the traveler should call his friends to let them know that he's back in town and ready to receive friends and guests. Yes, they do know that you're supposed to be back on the 15th, but as the respectful and loving friends that they are, they will wait for you to get settled and call them before bombarding you with life since you've left.

Any other thougthts out there? Come on, I can't be the only etiquette buff out there.

I definitely agree that the traveler should be the one to call. In fact, good etiquette would probably call for the friends not to call so that they give the traveler some time to settle back in, unpack, and just basically re-adjust to normal life again.

I agree the traveler should be the one to call as well.

I agree, too, that the traveler would be the one to call saying "Hi - I'm baaaack!"
- Nan

I don't know what the official rules are, but if I've arrived home at 2am and friends knock at my door at 9am to welcome me home, I'm not going to be in a very good mood!

I think it's polite to let the travelers settle down, unpack their suitcases, and let others know that they're ready to receive guests. Even before that, I think, as a traveler returning home, I'd call someone and say that I'm safely home and am just unwinding from the trip (a gentle hint that I'm not ready to do anything else yet).

Plus I wouldn't be surprised if people forget when you're going to be home. I wasn't even sure my bosses wouldn't be surprised when I walked in the door after coming home from a recent trip, and I knew they had it written on the calendar on the wall!