This one confused me

[groovlstk]

I suppose the ONLY thing that kindof worries me is the fact that I wouldn't have a backup plan (e.g. another girl I could visit in the same city just in case something totally unexpected were to happen with this one)... because the other girls I am talking to are from totally different areas.

Of all places in the FSU where you wouldn't be bored if things didn't work out w/your gf, St. Petersburg would be absolute tops on my list.

Even so, there are so many ways you can expand your dating pool without having to rely on a last-ditch run to a local agency. Sign up at a Russian dating site (e.g., www.missingheart.ru) and search for women in SPB to chat with, do the same in ICQ (which is how I met my wife). You'll meet some resistance but by and large the women you write to will be intrigued with the prospect of meeting a foreign guy. 

IMHO, it's paramount to have a backup plan for a first meeting, but you can put together a good backup plan in a matter of weeks, so don't let it delay your first trip.

[BillyB]

I suppose the ONLY thing that kindof worries me is the fact that I wouldn't have a backup plan (e.g. another girl I could visit in the same city just in case something totally unexpected were to happen with this one)... because the other girls I am talking to are from totally different areas.

Check out these dating sites. Freepersonals.ru which is free and bride.ru which will cost you $99 the first month but you can retrieve 900 contact info that includes email, postal address and phone number. Choose the backup ladies that are in the city you choose to visit.

For the other girls you're talking to from far away cities, call them often too. You might be surprised to find they may turn out to be perfect for you over the woman from St. Pete although they don't write all that mushy stuff.

If you're 100% positive you're going to St.Pete, then be polite and cut the other women off as you won't be able to see them anytime soon and you aren't wasting their time writing. For many girls, it cost money for them to use an internet cafe to communicate with you.