Hello from Virginia Beach

[August1]

August here; starting a hopefully short journey of finding someone overseas.  I worked in Russia and Kazakhstan at the turn of the century and interestingly never thought of doing this until I was 5 years past marital separation.  I am a middle aged bachelor who lives about a couple blocks from the beach and would like to have more in my life than work, motorcycles and paddleboarding.

I have made the mistake of putting a little bit of $ in the pay for message and a tour deposit.  I will probably go on one but the pictures on the internet are wild:  really old guys with hot chicks.  Might be fun to do one time but I am thinking social media is the way to go.

[Faux Pas]

Welcome to RWD August.

So you are going on a tour?

[Gator]

 

I have never been on a tour, and I do not recommend them.  I see their value limited to helping men with little travel experience.  However, you have worked in Russia and Kazakhstan and should be ready to travel alone. 

Now that you have paid a tour deposit, you could do the tour and then stay afterwards for self-directed travel.

Or you could forfeit the deposit and not waste any more money on a tour. 

If you do the tour, stay away from the hot chicks.  They are probably planted by the agency.  Be wary of professional daters who will take you to expensive restaurants, shops, etc.  plus require an overpaid translator. 

[Shadow]

Welcome August.
While tours have a bad reputation for exactly what you tell, they may be a way to get acquinted with the changes in the FSU since you were there last. Many things will have changed.
As for prospects of marriage, a tour is usually seen as not the best place. Many women do not wish to be in a 'meat market' and from those who do not mind a large percentage is in it to extract as many benefits as possible.
Keep this in mind when they will swarm you.

You might while you are going anyway try to get dates outside the tour program, and experience the difference.
As far as it being a short journey, do not put any pressure on yourself as far as time or resources are concerned.
Guys who take this like picking a puppy usually return with a biatch.

[Patagonie]

My best advice, if you decide to go to this tour (the tour in itself will push you in the FSU world, which is very nice), is to know when and where are you going. And to book and contact in each city a terp of YOUR own. Bring her in all meetings and parties. They would not like this but this is your money and you do what you want. Try to settle in advance some dates by yourself by using montly paid or free sites few weeks before going, not letting know the exact time when you will be there.
Udachi.

[August1]

my tour deposit of 475 may be the price of an education and not paying good money after bad.

[Faux Pas]

my tour deposit of 475 may be the price of an education and not paying good money after bad.

That's a good attitude to have. Tours are generally a dog and pony show. They are what some folks need. For someone already familiar with the country, it's quite likely a waste of your money.

[2tallbill]

my tour deposit of 475 may be the price of an education and not paying good money after bad.

Good attitude, you just paid a few dollars of tuition to the school
of hard knocks. You seem to like the idea of meeting several FSUW
in person then choosing one instead of an extended writing campaign.

That's called WNVM write none visit many. My advice is to get a new
email address specifically for pursuing FSUW. Use that new email
address to start a new facebook page (don't use your personal page)
Then start a new Mamba.ru profile which you will need to verify with
your new facebook page. Put $20 in your Mamba account and become
a VIP member. 

Pick a city, but not Odessa, Nikolaev or Kiev. Buy a ticket to the city
of your choice and put together a form letter, have it translated to
Russian. Then send it to a couple hundred girls who look cute.

Here is a form letter example 
Hello [girls name] my friends say I am tall, funny, charming
and interesting (I love my friends) I would like to meet you
for coffee or tea and you can see if my friends are correct.

Pishi!

Bill

Hopefully when you arrive several of them will want to meet you
to see if you are half as good as your friends think you are. Now
you've created a tour for yourself filled with girls who are curious
about you.

Coffee is a good first date. If she isn't the future Mrs August1 then
don't date her again. Even if she is the hottest woman on the planet
don't date her again if there isn't mutual chemistry and attraction.

If you feel mutual chemistry a walk in the park is an excellent idea
or ask her to show you a local museum or some attraction in her city.

If you run into the future Mrs August you will know it, and you
need to spend the rest of your time pursuing her. If a girl lies
dump her, if she makes excuses dump her. Don't waste your time
on mediocre girls. Don't waste your time on hot but disinterested
girls. This isn't Hollywood, they won't come around if you are earnest
and attentive.

Udachi!


Bill 

[Lily]

August here; starting a hopefully short journey of finding someone overseas.  I worked in Russia and Kazakhstan at the turn of the century and interestingly never thought of doing this until I was 5 years past marital separation.  I am a middle aged bachelor who lives about a couple blocks from the beach and would like to have more in my life than work, motorcycles and paddleboarding.

I have made the mistake of putting a little bit of $ in the pay for message and a tour deposit.  I will probably go on one but the pictures on the internet are wild:  really old guys with hot chicks.  Might be fun to do one time but I am thinking social media is the way to go.

Hello August,

You mentioned 5 years after your separation, but are you legally divorced by now? In Russia, there is no such thing as separation, and women have an idea that if not legally divorced, then the man is married.

Regarding the agency tours, I personally heard that there are not many sincere women going to such events in the FSU. This appears too huminiating for them. Women feel like in a meat market 

[August1]

thats a pretty ingenious method and I am sure it has been battle tested.

My weak point is the profile on "fill in name of site here" of woman with basketball size boobs (weakness) and I saw a lady on fiance.com and was thinking of the WOVO technique.   But what you have outlined has a strategy to it.  And the $20 in the mamba account is genius.

Has anyone projected flights during the cheapest part of the year and been able to avail themselves of priceline bidding?

I was looking at a double billed donetsk/mariupol trip.

Re the separation; it's a simple 6 month deal.  Amicable split with ex.

[I/O]

I personally heard that there are not many sincere women going to such events in the FSU.

Agreed but I do know one couple who've been married for a few years and met (initially) at a social. They both remarked that they felt they needed to get away from that event very quickly (which they did) and spend one - one time. I've never asked who the organiser was but I am surmising (by what I glean) it wasn't a company either of them would recommended. It just happened to work (so far) for them.
 
August, you appear to have a pretty "cruisey" attitude and that will serve you well. I personally couldn't cop the tour thing as I can't even do guided scenic tours (much prefer to play my own game)  but, if I were in your boots now, having paid a deposit etc, go, 'expect nothing and you won't be disappointed' but you might get a little feel for the lay of the land. From there, you can launch your own program if it looks like your cup of tea. I've always advocated a recognisance mission before getting neck deep - the tour should cover that off for you. Just watch for the leaches as there are plenty.....

[JohnDearGreen]

I was looking at a double billed donetsk/mariupol trip.

Donetsk?  I doubt AFA/Loveme will go there anytime soon.  I knew one serious lady who did the tour socials.  But if you go the best option would be to email ladies and ask them to also show up at the tour social.  The videos of tour I've seen are mostly 21 year old girls.

[Anotherkiwi]

  August!  Read lots before you go, although you seem to be a pretty level-headed guy anyway.

I was looking at a double billed donetsk/mariupol trip.

Are you nuts?    Have you not noticed that there's a small war going on in that part of the country?

Try Kyiv (lots of choices in every age-group), or head west to L'viv or north to Kharkiv...or try Russia instead.

Good luck with whatever you decide. 

[Hammer2722]

You definitely need to stay away from Eastern Ukraine. Too much fighting going on there....

[Shadow]

thats a pretty ingenious method and I am sure it has been battle tested.

My weak point is the profile on "fill in name of site here" of woman with basketball size boobs (weakness) and I saw a lady on fiance.com and was thinking of the WOVO technique.   But what you have outlined has a strategy to it.  And the $20 in the mamba account is genius.

Has anyone projected flights during the cheapest part of the year and been able to avail themselves of priceline bidding?

I was looking at a double billed donetsk/mariupol trip.

Re the separation; it's a simple 6 month deal.  Amicable split with ex.

If the weakness is worse in person as by picture you may be in for trouble...