Home is not a place, it's made up of people.

Your boyfriend makes you smile and laugh, takes care of you, makes you feel safe, and you guys are doing so well together. You're ready for the next step: introducing him to your family. It might seem like just something that was bound to happen but it's a huge step. You'll have worries racing through your mind. What if they hate him? What is he hates them?

Deciding you're ready for your significant other to meet your family is stressful and exciting. It's the next step in him possibly one day becoming a part of your family.

I met my first boyfriend away at college and fell head over heels. Eight months later we live in an apartment together and we've adopted a kitten together. He's my best friend and the man I hope to spend my life with. I grew up in Portland, OR but I'm attending college in Ohio. While meeting his family was easy seeing as he grew up in Ohio, meeting mine requires a cross-country flight and a few hundred dollars each.

He had already met Mom and Dad when he came to visit me during Christmas break but this spring my brother graduated high school and the whole family was gathering. He wanted to visit Portland and my family again, just as much as I wanted him to come along. So off we went and the adventure that was having most the family meet him begun.

Ashley Lytle

What helped make the introductions smooth was that I warned him about what to expect. Do yourself and him a favor and don't send him in blind. While it may be an interesting experiment to see how he handles them without any previous help from me, there was some things I needed my boyfriend to know. Like, my family has a habit of poking fun at each other. I didn't want him to feel as if they didn't like him if they made fun of him which was bound to happen. I really didn't have anything to worry about as he quickly joined this family tradition fitting it perfectly.

Another thing I warned him about was that my grandparents are very religious. If you don't agree I told him not to bother getting into a debate because by disagreeing it'll go nowhere but downhill. In front of one of my grandmas, I had to inform him of some banned words. Around her, you can't say words like "fart" or "dang." He doesn't need to remember everyone's name or know their relations, that can be learned with time, but give him some heads up on things he may want to know for the smoothest introductions and to avoid misunderstandings.

Something I didn't anticipate being an issue was PDA. While around your friends you and your boyfriend may be accustomed to displaying PDA. But when you're around your family that might have to be toned way down. My boyfriend wasn't prepared for that since his family has never had a problem with it. It was something we constantly worked on while visiting my family and I know I got one or two eyeballs from those who didn't approve. Adjusting from the lifestyle you're used to is hard when you become so accustomed to it but if you don't others might be uncomfortable.

My boyfriend (left) posing with members of my family after attending the Starlight Parade in Portland, OR.Ashley Lytle

For the most part, everything went extremely smoothly and at one point my mom even called him her favorite between us. We survived him meeting a lot of my family and I couldn't be happier. As I build my life I want my family to be apart of it and knowing that they like him and that they all get along makes everything easier. I may live a couple thousand miles away from my family with my boyfriend and our kitten but they're still a part of what I considered my home just as where he is, is becoming another part. If you love your significant other and want them to have a part of being your home then take that next step and introduce them to the other people who hold the same role.