Is Procrastination a RW characteristic or is it just a personal chacteristic

[Jersey Guy]

I'm new here and am looking for an opinion from some guys and maybe even some RW. I have been communicating since last October with a RW. So far we have been to a Carribean Island for 8 days and she has been here in the US for a 16 day visit. We are not young. I am 57 and she is almost 43. She always seems to have the attitude that we do not need to make travel plans until about 10 days in advance. In the West that just doesn't cut it. Availability goes down and prices go up. I was just wondering if other people think that this is normal RW behavior or if it is a personal characteristic. She is a professional in the truest occupational sense of the word and has a very good job in the Volga region. I would think that she would have a better understanding that the earlier the better as far as travel plans are concerned.

[OlgaH]

I would think that she would have a better understanding that the earlier the better as far as travel plans are concerned.

Welcome Jersey Guy.

Not always.

The tourist business in Russia has so called "goryaschaya putevka", a"hot tourist voucher" that also includes airfare, hotel, meal and so on. It is a tourist voucher that was not sold in time and should be sold as fast as possible before departure. Sometime such tour vouchers are sold below cost.

So, sometimes it is the late the cheaper 

But in general I think it is a personal characteristic.

[Jersey Guy]

Thanks Olga,
She did mention something similar to what you mentioned. In the US we also have similar things such as priceline.com...and others. I suppose that I just have to convince her that plans in advance to get what you want is more important than a cheaper price. Sometimes it is almost a verbal wrestling exercise. I think we are getting used to it. We are planning on going to the Grand Canyon in October. I gave her a very soft deadline of the first week in September to pick an arrival date. She agreed somewhat. We will see. It is not that important but convienent for me as far as reservations go.

[ML]

I don't think the word 'procrastination' is quite the right word to use.

However, I have found 'in general' that FSU people are much less into planning than we Westerners.  This has it's roots in the fact that life there has always been less certain than here, so planning has gotten a bad name as something of a waste of time. 

This mind set still carries forward to today, even as life may have become relatively more certain for them and even as they may now live in the West.

And complementary, Olga's reasoning comes into play also.

[Jersey Guy]

Thanks ML,
Without a lot of experience with RW I have found that to be true from many conversations with her and from what I have read so far. We do talk about the differences. I scratch my head sometimes and wonder and I'm sure she does also. So far we are doing well and trying to see where this goes. So far so good, but I do scratch my head sometimes in wonder. Your input is appreciated.

[OlgaH]

Jersey Guy, you are welcome. Good luck both of you

This has it's roots in the fact that life there has always been less certain than here, so planning has gotten a bad name as something of a waste of time. 

This mind set still carries forward to today, even as life may have become relatively more certain for them and even as they may now live in the West.

ML, below is my favorite part.    (Think about politics as well: today you are here, tomorrow you are there- behind the bars) 

[I/O]

RW's, terrible planners - great executioners, strangely unlike the Russian military who are generally good planners and terrible executioners.

[DKMM]

The reason they don't make travel plans so far in advance is a holdover from the soviet days of fixed pricing.  Explain to her that the prices go wayyy up so close to booking.  That was a huge revelation to my wife although she still does not understand why flights with layovers can be cheaper than direct flights.
And yes, its a common frustrating thing with many RW to make travel plans with fixed dates.  Some are better than others...

[JayH]

Some things do make me laugh-- I have a variation on this. My plan in place a month in advance and being told 3 days out to change it all!! This represented  -- 4 flights,plus hotel bookings,hire car,pre-paid transfer between airports!! etc etc. About $2000 to change-- met with a "ok"!!
 It is one of the things that had me scratching my head about the way spending my money and Ukr incomes related-- and if it did!!
Btw-- urgent change was for something in her life that could have easily been changed--or not attended at all at that time.
I almost forgot-- I was not believed about cost and hours of work,impossibility to simply change some air bookings,cancellation fees etc  -- basically I was upset over nothing !!

[Jersey Guy]

Wow Jay.....I have heardthat OK a few times....I start to cringe when I hear ...OK.

[Shadow]

Having a family I now plan longer in advance, even up to 1 week before going.

[JayH]

Having a family I now plan longer in advance, even up to 1 week before going.

Actually I am the king of last minute! Because of distance and time away I basically now plan only the longest return trip.I have reason to be in UK or western EU and can be flexible-- so I try and do that. My previous post was in earlier days and I did learn! I can tell you I get into a lot of trouble when I make the"guess where I am phone call" !!

[Fashionista]

I'm new here and am looking for an opinion from some guys and maybe even some RW. I have been communicating since last October with a RW. So far we have been to a Carribean Island for 8 days and she has been here in the US for a 16 day visit. We are not young. I am 57 and she is almost 43. She always seems to have the attitude that we do not need to make travel plans until about 10 days in advance. In the West that just doesn't cut it. Availability goes down and prices go up. I was just wondering if other people think that this is normal RW behavior or if it is a personal characteristic. She is a professional in the truest occupational sense of the word and has a very good job in the Volga region. I would think that she would have a better understanding that the earlier the better as far as travel plans are concerned.

In addition to what everybody said, if she is a real professional and has a demanding job, depending on her job nature and even her boss, she just doesn't have the opportunity to plan her time off well in advance. Plenty of possibilities here.

[Shadow]

In addition to what everybody said, if she is a real professional and has a demanding job, depending on her job nature and even her boss, she just doesn't have the opportunity to plan her time off well in advance. Plenty of possibilities here.

In general that is the cause for my lack of planning. A job I held for a long time when young would never ensure me a long planned vacation, partially because I was one of few single guys without children, partially because if something came up I was the main person to fix it.

[Ludmila]

It's about priorities.
If your planned event is going to destroy a contract/even/deal/trip with a value surpassing the cost of the planned event, then plans can be changed.
If the trip with your future husband  planned well in advance is more important ,i.e. you are highly motivated for the relationship to progress, and you value  the contract/event/deal, etc as auxiliary vs your personal happiness, then the plans cannot be changed.
Planned trip vs serious sickness of the child
Planned trip vs a stroke of your parent
planned trip vs your career move
planned trip vs purchase of property ( the buyers have suddenly materialised)
Different people prioritize differently .
In case of the topic starter, if he is sure the reason was unimportant, then the lady isn't as motivated as the topic starter is.
During my dating period, an otherwise good gent said he had to change the date of his trip to visit me in my Moscow  property because he was waiting for the results of something that would affect the value of his shares, and it would take him 2 more months to know. I thought he wasn't highly motivated . He was fired.
Later on, when my will-to- be husband, a most consistent and  obliging person I have ever met, did everything as we planned, I appreciated it highly. Closer towards my departure to US, I was offered a 1 month contract with a pretty sum in $, he objected. I obeyed without hesitation. Our future and my man were more important than the attractive sum on the paycheck.