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Joshua Vacanti returns home to Western New York

The 28-year-old arrived at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport on Thursday morning, with his family and friends giving him a huge welcome back.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Nothing says you have a big Italian family like loading them all on a party bus all to welcome a loved one back to Buffalo. 

"We just wanted to celebrate him and have him drive home in style," said Diane Sullivan, Joshua Vacanti's mom. 

Vacanti was gone for a few months.  

"He wasn't home for Thanksgiving so that was really hard. We Facetimed him though," Sullivan said. 

He missed family time to follow a dream and make his hometown of Lockport proud.

"Everybody loves Joshua. They support him so much. We have signs in the front of our house and people go by and beep the horn and we see people coming out and taking pictures," Sullivan said. 

Vacanti was on NBC's "The Voice" with coach John Legend.

"When I auditioned for the show, I had like no expectations. It was all on a whim," he said.

However, he was just eliminated from the Top 8 earlier this week. 

Now Vacanti is finally home, welcomed back at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport with a crowd of family and friends. He offered no shortage of hugs to his wife, Samantha Olewnik. 

"We Facetime a lot, but it's not the same," Olewnik said. "I'm so happy he's home."

He also hugged the rest of his big Italian family. 

Vacanti's time on "The Voice" may be finished, but now the 28-year-old is ready to share his music journey with all of those who supported him along the way. 

"Whatever doors open, I'm ready to walk through," Vacanti said. "I can't wait to sing around town and just share the love and celebrate with everybody."

First, he's going to do what most Buffalonians do when they're away from home too long. 

"I missed Western New York food, especially pizza. I feel like you can't get pizza around here anywhere else, so I'm going to sleep and them I'm going to eat some good food," Vacanti. 

Just as he should, for doing all of Western New York a job well done. 

   

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