Waiting for a Missionary

Jake leaves for his mission February 5th.
For those of you who don't know, Mormon boys have the opportunity to serve a mission when they turn 18. They leave their families for two years and go out to preach the good word (yes, these are the super cute guys in suits riding around on bikes). When you see a missionary, you see a teenage boy in a suit with an eager smile and desire to teach. But what you don't see are their significant others back home who have to wait patiently for the loves of their lives to return...and they don't get to text, call, snapchat, FaceTime, Instagram, anything, for two whole years.
THATS GOING TO BE ME STARTING IN TWO AND A HALF MONTHS.
Let me say this now. I am so incredibly proud of Jake for choosing to serve a mission. He has the most amazing testimony to share with people of San Antonio, Texas. Ever since I was a little girl, I always said I would marry a returned missionary... So I wouldn't have it any other way. But I never thought I would meet the guy I loved BEFORE he left for two years. I am so incredibly proud of him. But I'm kind of nervous, too.
Two years, 24 months, 104 weeks, 730 days. But who's counting.
I'm just kind of anxious for him to leave so I can actually start the hardest two years of my life. It's kind of like running a marathon. You spend lots of nights up late worrying you're not ready, that you haven't prepared enough. Then it starts. The first two miles or so, you feel okay, but hopeless when you think of how far you have to go. Then by the 5th or 6th mile you realize how long it's been, and you level out at a nice steady pace. Every once in a while you feel tired, and you may even feel like quitting. Then finally at mile 20, you start to feel exhausted, but you remember it's almost over. You keep up a good pace, and finish strong, and then it's done.
Sometimes I like to think about what it's gonna be like when I get to hug him after waiting for two whole years. It might be the most romantic thing ever. It might be the most awkward hug ever (after all, he wouldn't have been allowed to hug anyone for the past two years). All I know is that that day will be one of the happiest days of my entire life.
I'm very anxious to get this thing started.