Would you go back?

[START2]

Last summer was the first year I haven't been back in several years. I miss Ukr so much. I lived there for awhile and developed some lasting relationships and truly miss my friends. Yura and Oksana in Chernihiv and Vitalik and Natasha in Odesa. He's very cool but only in country 6 months of the year. He's a mariner the other. A helluva guy. We continue to stay in touch.Last year my FIL passed and the wife spent the summer with her mom. I had issues here to take of. In august just before my wife can home her brother passed so needless to say most vacations will be time with MIL and that's fine with me. Tried twice to get her a tourist visa to visit us during the holidays and our wonderful consulate interviewers turned her down even though we submitted all the correct docs and plenty of reasons for her to return. That's another thread in a different cat. I guess. Anyway, my soul is so connected to Ukr it's difficult to explain it. Just feels like home for me and babush is number 1 for us. What a fantastic lady.
  Maybe it makes a difference if you developed friendships while there other than just a search. Or, if you don't mind not having a few conveniences.
  My wife just asked the other day that when we go back this summer if I'd like to visit Budapesht? So, is that worth a quick trip?

[planner]

Wanting and affording are different topics so I'll stay on topic.  I would love to return to Sochi in the fall for about 3 weeks and with our connections there it wouldn't be as expensive as staying in the motels.  (The motels are very nice.)  The scenery and diversity of things to see and do are outstanding.  I would have an excellent interpreter who also knows the area well.  Good food in every direction.  Miles of sea side cobblestone paths.  And the wine from neighboring Georgia I just found before leaving and it was excellent, so wine tasting would be a good recreational activity for us while seeing the sites.  Those little barbeque stands at the trail heads in the Caucus mountain valleys are interesting.  Just the food and wine would be enough to go back for.  Then there is the scenery and history and architecture.  The hardwood forests I would like to see with autumn colors.  And if the trip is timed just right there may just be enough warmth left at the beach to attract visitors.  You guys are horrible, now I'm thinking about all the things I could plan in a sub-tropical climate when I really need to be outside shoveling the snow that came off the roof today.

[Bruce]

I love going back, especially to visit big cities.  Tver is getting a bit old, but there are some fun things there I look forward to.  I go once each year in summer these days, but am not so sure this summer I'll be going.  We are deciding now.  My wife has grown to dislike the USA.  The more she is here there more she dislikes it.  Having no greencard after three years of marriage does not help.  I always say, then lets move to Russia.  Her answer always is that it is better for our family here.  She knows I would have it worse in Russia then she does here.  I have a decent job here and she feels secure.  Being treated like a second class citizen never is fun for a superior being. 

[thompsongunner06]

Yes we would go back to visit,,,,We do like the warmer places,,Bahamas,St Martin etc,,,,but Sochi was great,Moscow was great and UK was very good. People were very nice and food(and Vodka) was GREAT. I think the politics will keep us out of Russia. We can go to UK(no visa required) but we can have her mother fly here and see her new home.  If politics get better we might do Moscow again. There is so much to see and never enough time(or money).When she handed a boarder guard her blue passport he just kinda looked at us different,,but the guards were OK. Getting our last visa from the Russian embassy  in DC was not very nice,,workers there seemed to not care to help.

[MaxxumUSA]

I have been telling my wife the last few days I am ready to go back for a visit.  I definitely miss her family and friends.  She does also.

We sent in her AOS and advance parole paperwork a few weeks ago so we should be able to travel this summer.

Like others there are other places we wish to see in the world - so we will do that as well.

When I am in Samara we get treated like gold by the locals.  People are so welcoming and friendly that it is a great place to visit.

I want to go to Spain and Germany with her also.

I have never been to any truly tropical place before so that is on the list as well.

So many things to do...  so short life to do it all.

- Maxxum