While i'm joking in my delivery..
My wife did surprise me in planning and and springing for this anniversaries dinner and day..
She is an incredible person, and works hard at work or play,
and generally at everything she does.
(and one of the many things she does , is being a great wife , which she takes quite seriuosly as well)
If you are reading this forum , odds are you have more than a passing interest in the FSU and women from there.
On that note-
While it might be frought with risk,, and filled with a few landmines-
you can meet, a wonderful spouse in the FSU.
(as well as any country)
One that truly loves you ,(more than you can imagine )
and is willing to work hard together to make life better for you both as a couple.
It is up to you to due your due diligence ,
to not only find the right person for you,
but to try and insure you are the right person for them.
at only 5 short years, i can't claim any success as far as marriage, as it should be for a lifetime.
I do know that spending time in eastern europe and familiarity with its culture
richened my life.
Add in that i met a wonderful person to share these past 7 years with,
(we dated two) it has been amazing.
any additional time in my book, is pure bonus and a further blessing.
The new guys thinking of venturing there to try and meet someone special,
it can be quite a challenging , strange , winding , and bumpy road!!!

After you meet someone, expect that things will get a bit more interesting!!
(and possibly more difficult even...lol)
but yes!
if you have some decent luck, are confident and of good character ,remain true to yourself, and keep some good common sense about you..
it is worth any effort or minor difficulties or bumps in the road of life....
i'm not much of a team sports fan..
but it does seem to have a good analogy?
You can sit on the sidelines, and watch life go by
(which can have its own merits)
or get in the game..!!(or on the plane )
by jumping in there, yes you will risk injury ,
and no amount of preparedness can eliminate that risk,,
but by getting out there,
you have an oppurtunity for those great moments..
that people from the stands watching simply won't have.
I wish you luck and happiness whatever your choice!!