Law's Ukraine Trip Report

[GoodOlBoy]

"Can Law come out to play?"

Good TR report Law. I especially like the pictures.

I have a question to other members of the forum that have travelled recently to the Ukraine.

I haven't been to the Ukraine in SEVERAL years. These girls look a little "BEEFY"?

Have the women in the Ukraine gained some weight since I have been there?

I hope not.   

GOB

[Law]

I know you asked other members, but that wasn't the most flattering pic. I'm kicking myself because I didn't take nearly as many as I should have at the socials. Other photos I'll show later will provide a better look how the ladies look, I hope.

[GoodOlBoy]

Hello Law.

I meant no offense to you about your pictures.

As a matter of fact, the quality of your camera is excellent.

I was just curious about the content (women). This group looks like they have been to the local McDonald's a few to many times.

GOB

"Can Law come out to play?"

[BillyB]

Hi Law,

I've just read your blog and found it to be completely truthful and accurate ... to the best of my knowledge.
Just an FYI ... I was also a travelerer to the Ukraine on this particular Tour. Law and I connected on our flights to Vienna and onto Odessa. While we dated seperately, we did enjoy one double-date. I can testify to the veracity of his writings. Like Law, all of the guys in our Tour group were sincere and honorable in their search for their potential foreign mates. It was truly an extraordinary experience and one that I intend to repeat in the near future. Any mention of a sex Tour is absurd and not worthy of my time to reply. The ladies were just that ... ladies! Their attitudes to life and living is reminicient of American women from the 1950's (i.e., The Donna Reed Show). Ukrainian women still want to be women and seek a kind, mature and intelligent man that can provide them with safety, children and a comfortable home. AFA did a masterful job in its organization and management of this complex introduction process. For all you "fence-sitters," I urge you to commit to an AFA Tour. And Law, keep writing ... I will look forward to your future entries.
Lou

Louhab, your first post sounds like an advertisement. Stick around and invest some time here. When you get to a few hundred posts, people may start believing this is your opinion rather than an ad. My experience tells me you'll be a "one and done" poster or maybe you'll post a few more times just to show you're a regular guy instead of a salesman. I've been around the forums for over 4 years. Jack Bragg's First Dream social is the only one that doesn't get complaints so if anybody wants to go to a social, that's the one to sign up for due to it's track record.

Good trip report Law. Seems like you're still on a high. Just make sure you're using the big head to evaluate all those women you're still in contact with. You seem young compared to mostly older men that go to socials. Have you felt any resistance from ladies due to the color of your skin? Just because they are nice and talking to you doesn't mean they're giving you the "green light". Even if some of the ladies approve of you, they may encounter pressure from their families to get rid of you. Keep that in mind if you end up developing a relationship with one. There is a lot more racism there than here. Many RW have openly stated they have no interest in black men or know of many ladies with that view.

[tim 360]

Nice trip report Law and thanks for posting it.

I think Billy is right.  Louhab is gushing so much about AFA that he must be a salesman.

[Law]

I'm glad so many people are enjoying my report. I think I got a little too wordy with this second part so I may go back through and comb out some of the unnecessary verbage.

LouHab is a personal friend of mine and a great guy. AFA faciliated a great trip overseas for us, and he's just expressing that. For better or for worse, AFA took something very complex and strange (the world of international dating) and made it into a pretty simple process. Since so many people here seem to believe that there's a better way to go than AFA. That's cool. I'll definitely consult with you all about other options for agencies when the time comes. Until then, cut us some slack, people. We didn't know any better and went with AFA. We still had a fantastic time and will be going back for more.

@ BillyB- Racial prejudice is a pretty delicate subject. If a lady prefers to date White men at the exclusion of Black, Asian and Latino men, is she a racist? What if her dating prefs only exclude Black men, is she a racist?

I couldn't possibly know if a lady's reluctance or refusal to spend time with me was due to a preference or deep seated hatred of Blacks. The women I spent time with seemed genuinely interested and pleased to be with me. If 'issues' come up at a later point, I'll have to cross that street when I come to it.

Funny you should ask...

[Turboguy]

Personally I don't think LouHab is a sales person for AFA.   I think it is just a friend that was on the tour with Law but is more hesitant to post.   

I think the point that Billy was making is that there just is more prejudice in the FSU than you will find in America.   Some women may be curious and some may be willing to be friends and may want to satisfy their curiosity.   However,  when it comes time to make a life choice they may face more family adversity than a woman from America.  Still there have been black men who have succeeded in this so anyone who tells you it is impossible is wrong.  I think most would feel it will be a bit more challenging than for someone with a different ethnic background.   You do seem like a very nice guy, very intelligent and personable.   I hope it works out for you.

Most of the comments I have heard about AFA tours have been negative.   I have never gone on an AFA tour but I did three tours with European Connections when they still did tours and they were very similar to the AFA tours and also done very well and very professionally.   I am looking forward to hear how things work out for you long term.  To be honest, when I returned from the EC tours I was as enthusiastic as you are and most everyone who was on the tour felt the same.   Long term it was a different story. 

You are writing a really interesting trip report and we all are enjoying it.

[Law]

...I did three tours with European Connections when they still did tours and they were very similar to the AFA tours and also done very well and very professionally.   I am looking forward to hear how things work out for you long term.  To be honest, when I returned from the EC tours I was as enthusiastic as you are and most everyone who was on the tour felt the same.   Long term it was a different story. 

Why was your long term impression so different from your initial one?

[Turboguy]

On the EC tours I and most everyone else came back thinking they had found thier woman.  Over time and with follow up visits the women we met just did not turn out to be who we thought we had found.   Basically every woman I met was either a scammer or a serial dater.

With EC's tours one of the main problems in my opinion was that they allowed girls in off the street.   What I mean by that was they would run newspaper ad's inviting women and even had signs out on the main streets announcing the sessions and inviting women to attend.

The problem with this method is that a lot of the guys, even though they may be nice guys and sincere are often new to the FSU dating scene and rather nieve  (I was one of those as well).   It doesn't take scammers long to figure out these socials are a gold mine full of easy marks.   I am not saying all the women were bad.  There were sincere women.    I am still in touch with several of my friends from those tours.   No one ever ended up married from one.   One of my friends went on 3 more EC tours after the one he was on with me and then when they stopped doing them has gone on 4-5 AFA tours and is still looking. 

Some of the women are sincere and I hope the ones you met are in that group. 

[Law]

One of my friends went on 3 more EC tours after the one he was on with me and then when they stopped doing them has gone on 4-5 AFA tours and is still looking. 

What a sad story!
Is there some kind of bug spray or garlic powder that repels scammers and serial daters?

Do they tend to be women of extraordinary beauty?

[Turboguy]

No, I can't say they were.   The one I met on my first EC tour was reasonably pretty but no a knock out.   I wondered why she was at a social in Moscow since she lived in a city in Ukraine that was a stop for many tours.   My opinion based on what I learned was she was a serial fiancee that went to different cities for different tours and had a lot of men who were sending her support money and thinking they would end up married. 

The one I met on the second tour was in her mid to late 30's cute but not beautiful with a 12 year old son.   She was really sly but not as smart she thought she was.    I managed to spend close to 3 grand in a 5 day follow up visit and about a thousand ended up in her pocket with scams.   I caught her on a couple of different things such as she told me she lived in the sticks and wanted $ 70.00 or so per trip for the cab.  I noticed she never looked for a cab near my hotel so one night just out of curiosity I followed her and she was taking the metro home and pocketing the money.   There was lots more as well.

The third trip was a follow up with a woman I had only shared a brief meeting with.  She was about 6'2 which is about 3 inches taller than me and about a 6 or 7.   It was a little like another thread going on here.   Within an hour of our first date on my return she was asking for $ 400.00 boots because she was ashamed to be seen with me in the boots she had which looked fine to me.  Add in the fact she wanted to start drinking vodka in the AM and was insulted that I didn't want to drink Vodka with her that early and that first date became the last date. 

So none were unusually beautiful.   Most were just average or perhaps a bit above.   Garlic and bug spray.  Yes, it is called RWD. 

[dispozo]

Great report Law!!

I am enjoying the read and the photos are a great plus. Looking forward to the rest of your trip...

[Law]

Anna from Kherson
The day after the social afforded a bit of free time. While still in Odessa I finally contact Anna to let her know that I'm in the Ukraine. Anna was the girl I fell in love with through correspondence. When I considered the 'International dating scene' and browsed pictures of women from the FSU hers was one of the photos that made me determine Odessa, Ukraine would be where I threw my fishing line. So it was a double delight when she not only wrote me back, but expressed a strong interest in meeting me. In 3 months time she had sent me over two dozen photos, and 20 replies. My excitement to see her couldn't have been higher! This girl was almost everything I wanted in a lover. I couldn't dream of having this kind of correspondence with a local girl. The closer I got to the trip, the more I looked forward to meeting her. As a matter of fact, the tone of her letters struck such a strong romantic note, I was somewhat indifferent about meeting people on the tour. I was so sure that when I finally met up with Anna, my dreams would burst into reality! But I'd meet other people along the way just in case of, you know, the UNLIKELY chance that this girl is not the One.

Kherson, was the third city we visited on the tour, but she wanted to meet me at the airport in Odessa. I was flattered, but I didn't want to deviate from the tour schedule or create my own plans without knowing the city.  Since the tour schedule was so hectic I suggested that we meet after the tour was coming to an end, roughly a week after I got to Ukraine. She expressed some disappointment, but still seemed eager to meet me. Now in town with a little free time I decided to call the number she gave me. I didn't know if she had a phone or not (apparently she did) so she gave me the number of her friend, 'Kate'. I was told that Kate was a friend and she functioned as both an interpreter and a 'date coordinator' for Anna and I. What confused me even more was when Anna arrived with her own interpreter, it wasn't Kate, but another gal. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Anna knows that I'm in the Ukraine and in just a few days I'll get the chance to meet the girl of my dreams!!!

That was Saturday, the 6th of December.


I failed to follow the most important rule- Don't fall in love with a photo. But I couldn't help it! She sent me over two dozen of them!

NIKOLAEV!
Part 3 of my Trip Report




NIKOLAEV
The next day it was time to pack up and head to Nikolaev!!
I would say that Nikolaev was my favorite town, but I didn't see much of Kherson. But between Odessa and Nikolaev I liked it about the same, but for different reasons. Odessa is easy to love and enjoy. She's a port town with a significant foreign population and lots of interesting things to do and places to see. She's modern, well dressed and thoroughly cosmopolitan. Felt much like home. But Nikolaev made me feel like I was a foreigner visiting a foreign land. The dollar went a lot further, people were far simpler, and I felt like I saw a more sincere version of the Ukraine there. If Odessa and Nikolaev are sisters, Odessa is the favored daughter. She's older, prettier, and more ornate in her manner and appearance. Nikolaev is the quieter, simple girl whose simplicity you just can't get enough of. I enjoy Odessa's obvious charm, but there's something about Nikolaev I adore.



Hotel Ingel
The hotel that we stayed at was called the Hotel Ingel. It was a far cry from the lavish Hotel Odessa. There were 5 floors, as opposed to 17. There was no elevator, and no fancy magnetic cards to give you access to your rooms. It was a true taste of hotel life in another country, and I loved it!

There was a restaurant on the 3rd floor that would become my major food provider for my entire stay in Nikolaev. In Odessa there was an abundance of eateries. But as much time as I spent in Nikolaev, I never got familiar enough with the layout of the city to find a selection of restaurants to haunt. That was my loss, because they were definitely there. But I learned a new word. PECTOPAH = RESTORAN or something like that. I felt like a kid who could learn how to read for the first time. Now I could pick out that word wherever I went!



Nik at Nite
The time approached to get ready for the next social. This one was at a night club, and honestly it was the one I enjoyed the least. The club was nice, but that's not saying much because I hate clubs. Some really cool things happened for me there, but the format of the venue really worked against the quick, casual meeting. There were two floors. Downstairs were your typical round tables arranged against the wall under the balcony. In the middle of the room was a dance floor, and a full bar ran along one of the other walls. Upstairs there were tables and semicircular booths, where many of the ladies I wanted to talk to were holed up. I would have to work so hard to get into a group that I'd end up wedged in for nearly the night.

Some highlights were seeing girls at the social who had just recently added their profile to the website. There was one girl who was so incredible I had to catch my breath when I saw her in person. I talked to her, but I couldn't get her interested in me. And I met a very curious guy while I was walking around. This gentleman had been on 7 romance tours and still hadn't found his other half. That actually worried me. I for one, don't have such an income to make 7 romance tours. Seven visits to another country is one thing. I imagine that over time I could scrape together enough airfare to get somewhere and then budget and cut expenses here and there as needed. But 7 romance tours? Whoa.

The time came for the DJ to crank the music to ear shattering levels and I chalked the night up as being over. The challenge to communicate with someone through an interpreter was hard enough. But to have to also compete with music this loud? Ugh. Somehow my spirits recovered and I spent the bulk of my time talking to a handful of very wonderful local girls in a quieter part of the club near the restrooms. They spoke reasonably good English and I had a good time answering questions and telling jokes with them. I made loose plans to hang out with them the next day and went home by cab.

The social ended early enough to allow us to go play in the city so many of the guys went out with dates they made at the social. But I was wiped out. I felt the beginning of a cold coming on, I was losing weight because I wasn't eating as often as I liked, and it was dark and raining.


I hate nightclubs. But this one was kind of nice


These ladies were so nice to me. I wish I had spent more time with them in Nikolaev


Sightseeing in Nikolaev!!
The next day I went running around town with Max (the young tour director) and another gentleman from the tour. We went sightseeing and picture taking and I collected a lot of great shots of monuments and buildings in Nikolaev. We had a lot of fun. Afterwards we returned to the hotel, and had breakfast. But today was a big day for me! In a few short moments I would have my very first meeting with ladies I had been writing to!





Lilia and Irina
I had been in the Ukraine for 5 days but had not met anyone I had written while I was in the U.S. I was most interest in meeting Irina, but Lilia was available first so I met her at the City Center mall which was walking distance. I secured a translator and headed over. I arrived at the appointed time, but I didn't meet her until 20 minutes later because I didn't recognize her. I didn't have much time to spend with her, so we had something to drink in the food court area, talked and walked around the mall. I bought her a gift and rushed off to meet Irina, who was waiting in front of the hotel. Where did the time go?

I pounced on Irina's profile as soon as I saw it appear on the registry. She was blonde, with blue eyes, 23, no children, Christian, attractive, works in finance and spoke excellent English! Unfortunately, I had notified her of my very 'serious' correspondence with someone else and I didn't get a chance to read her reply before I left for my trip. And here she is.

The real life version of Lilia lived up to her profile pictures. But the real life Irina was far more attractive than her profile pics. My snapshots don't do her justice, but she was adorable!



An errand for a friend
Irina arrived with her own translator who was there more for a comfort factor than anything. We went upstairs to the third floor and ate and talked for a good while. I enjoyed my time with them so much I almost forgot about an important errand I had to do for a friend from the U.S.

A gentleman I met at AFA's 'Open House Seminar' in Dana point is writing a lady in Nikolaev. I offered to take her a gift on his behalf and the time had come for me to deliver it. So I ask the girls to go with me with the hopes that we can get some dessert and hang out some more later. We take a cab over to the meeting spot (McDonalds, LOL) and as I'm getting out of the car Irina turns and says to me, “It was nice meeting you...”

Huh?

She thought I was taking the present to a lady I was interested in. I quickly explain the nature of my quest and she then agrees to hang out with me for the rest of the night. I was so impressed by this girl's sweetness. Not only had I wrote her and said I'm zeroing in on someone else, and she still meets me. She hung in there with me when she thought I was taking a gift for someone else. What a gal!


You probably can't see it, but this gal's eyes welled up with tears when I took her that gift!

I'm Melting!!
Irina's interpreter friend had made plans in the cab on the way to McDonald's. So Irina and I make the drop and go walking around in search of somewhere to hang out. It was freezing that night so we duck into a cafe she knows about and spend the next 2 hours talking. I feel myself falling for this girl. She's great! Midway through our conversation I say to her, “You know, you're pretty much everything I'm looking for in a special someone. Please tell me more about your beliefs.” This doll looks at me and says, “I'd like to tell you more about my beliefs. But first I'd like to tell you more about myself”.

I melt.

For the next hour or so she shows me pictures of her family, her coworkers, lets me listen to her music and opens her heart about her dreams. I'm done. I don't want to leave her side. Even just recounting that night together, it was so wonderful. How did it end? We head back to the hotel and she calls a car for herself on the way. The car is waiting for her at the hotel and we hug and part for the evening.

The next day the bus heads for Kherson. Some of the guys stayed back in Nikolaev and I wanted to also, but I didn't want to break away from the tour. I kept in touch with Irina by cell phone, and already determined that I would circle back and spend as much time with her as I could after the tour was over. I thought to myself, “Anna better watch out!”


I have to catch myself. I might be falling in love!


Next up- The Kherson social!
Anna is from Kherson. Maybe I can see her now. Kate tells me she's...where? What's she doing in Dnepropetrovsk?!

More to come!

[ambach123]

This is one of the best trip reports I have ever read; with pictures, description etc. Law you are the man, I am sure you will succeed, if you have not already done so.

You have proven all these pros here wrong.

First, that Black men would have difficult time in FSU; it does not look all that difficult time for you.

Second AFA tours are worthless, again not for you.

I think generalities are totally wrong in this pursuit; it all boils down to the individual.

[Ronnie]

Law,

You have drawn the contrast between Odesa and Mykolayiv perfectly!  Odesa indeed does look on it's neighbor city with distain.  Odesites consider they neighbors to be very simple and not in a good way. 

It was also my first trip to Ukraine that taught me these contrasts.  My WOVO was from Odesa but the Plan B gal was a lovely woman from Mykolayiv with whom I ended up spending the most time.

[Diplomacy]

Law:

You are shy and as they say still waters run deep.  Keep it up my man!  Looking forward too next chapter.

[Law]

KHERSON
Trip Report part 4

The time came for the tour to leave Nikolaev and go to Kherson. A couple of the guys wanted to spend more time with ladies they met in Nikolaev so they opted not to go to Kherson and when I checked the tour schedule again I can't say I blamed them. We would only spend ONE NIGHT in Kherson?! That meant we wouldn't be in town for a single day for follow ups. You could always book another night at the hotel and make your way to Odessa on your own, but still...At this point the tour was more than halfway over, so many of us were worn out, had met ladies we liked in other cities, or had doubts about whether the last city of the tour would be worth going to. After a rather short ride to the Fregat Hotel, we get to our rooms and prepared for our last social.

My Third Social
Maybe it was because I'd be meeting Anna in a couple of days. Or maybe it was because I was exhausted, and fighting a cold. Or maybe it was because I thought the reason we were spending so little time in Kherson was because they saved the worst for last. But whatever the reason I went to sleep after I unpacked and nearly missed the last social! After a wake up call from Max (and a nice shower) I stumbled down to the last and best social on the tour- an hour and a half late.

The party was going full swing. I was still half asleep and far less tuned in (socially) than usual. I walked past the dance floor, past a number of other tables to the middle of the room and sat down. God, or fate or both must have guided me there, because when I looked up there were a handful of adorable young ladies there, one of whom I would spend a lot of time with once the tour was over. At the table were twin girls, who I'd later find out were two of three triplets. They were absolutely adorable! My photos simply do not do them justice.


Not the twins here...just friends

Unlike in Odessa, I remembered to pull my camera out at the Kherson social!

Stepping Out
Before too long I excused myself and spent some time chatting at some other tables. The time came for the DJ to crank the music and ladies went flying to the dance floor. I became overwhelmed with the volume of the music and complained to the staff, but there was no winning that fight. Oh yeah, that's right, I had been nearly two hours late! I more or less lost my chance to 'talk to people'. The rest of the time was for the ladies to dance, dance the night away.

I wandered around picking on guys on the tour and taking pictures. I found a good friend of mine who was pinned in at a table I KNOW he didn't want to be at. I snapped pictures of the group and dragged him off to the table with the 'twin kittens'. We spent some time taking pictures of ourselves with them and trying to talk above the roar of the club music.

The night was saved! I saw a couple of ladies from the website, helped a friend of mine have a good time and got some great pictures!


Come on, do it with me! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah!

The Girls from Kherson!
I was happy with how night was going, but that music kept driving me out of the ballroom. I felt like I had gotten all I was going to get out of the night and started my trip back to my room. Outside at the staff table were a bunch of bored looking women, so I began picking on them.

“They pay you to sit here and look bored like this?”  “What are you guys doing?”

So I went down the line asking them what they did and found out they either registered the guests, or provided interpretation. I got to the end and the gal said “I'm here to meet men.” So I said, “I'm here to meet women. Let's talk.” I spent the rest of that night talking to the most beautiful woman I have ever met on the tour! I saw many, many beautiful women in Ukraine on that trip, but there is something magical about the ladies from Kherson. The night ended, I kissed my angel on the cheek and retired to my room. The next day it was back to Odessa.


My my my...The ladies from Kherson are something else. I wish we spent more time there!

ODESSA
I was able to get amped up for the party, but I was still pretty wiped out. I made it back to Odessa on Wednesday, December 10th, but I slept in as much as I could. Thursday, the following day I called and made arrangements for Anna to come and see me. Apparently she was in Dnepropetrovsk visiting her sister and brother-in-law. But she had returned to Kherson and would be traveling by cab from there. She and her interpreter friend would arrive in Odessa that evening! So my plan was to treat them to dinner, put them up at an apartment and spend a day or two having fun around town.

My Fated Meeting with Anna!
The time had come for me to finally meet Anna face to face! The girls arrived around 5pm or 6pm Thursday evening. The cost for round trip cab from Kherson to Odessa and back was $350.00 USD, their apartment for a two night stay was $200.00 USD, and dinner that night was $100.00 USD. My already tired budget was completely wiped out. I had no idea my invitation would cost so much, and we hadn't even started our 'big day in Odessa'. $650.00 USD just to say 'hi' and tuck them in for the night. I know it 'costs to love', but I couldn't help but wonder if it was worth it. I felt a meltdown coming on.


Meltdown
When you fall in love, I mean REALLY fall in Love, nothing else matters. Sometimes the 'love' that possesses you is real, but you're blind in it.  It's typical to be in love with an illusion of your own or another person's making. I still say it's love, even if it is one-sided; even if it's doomed to disillusionment.

It doesn't take long to see the need to guard your heart most carefully, because Love can make a damn fool out of you. The search for love is like hunting for a legendary treasure! The first few years you're reckless, even foolish! But as time goes on you become more strategic, taking chances that are more calculated. And even though it seems impossible to find her sometimes, you never lose sight of the value of this treasure. You learn to manage your emotions better. Your heart doesn't swing so wildly between the heights of lofty optimism and the misery of hell's despair. The 'heartbeats' between hope and disappointment are regulated better. Disappointment and frustration becomes easier to brush aside. Victories are celebrated modestly.

I had written Anna for almost 4 months before we met. I built up a version of Anna in my mind so grand there was no escaping the crash of disappointment.

Anna was as amazing in real life as she was in all of her pictures. Silky blonde hair, legs that went on forever, perfect skin, and eyes that pierced right through you. Her stride was elegant and confident, and her mind was as sharp as a blade. But as we sat down to dinner a few things didn't sit right with me. She didn't seem all that excited to see me. Her personality and manner was so carefree and... sassy? Her attitude towards money, her absence of gratitude, and the fact that she neither spoke nor understood a single syllable of English all pointed to the likelihood that she's just not the girl for me. I know that these are all things that could be 'worked through', but I had spent time with half a dozen ladies who didn't speak English, yet I could tell pretty quickly if they were 'into me' or not. Little things like eye contact, a smile here and there, an interested look while I'm speaking, an effort to stand close to me, the awkwardness that's normal when you're around someone you like, who you want to like you back. Nothing's on the radar, captain. I was crushed.

I spent about an hour or so with Anna, and her interpreter, Inna and walked them to their apartment.
And went back to my hotel room and cried myself in and out of sleep the rest of the night.


Ah, the risks we take in love....*sigh*

Face It Dude, She's Not The One.
It's super rare when us guys cry.  But if it's gonna happen it's gonna happen so make it a good one. Get alone where no one can hear you and have at it. Most of the time I'll try to pull myself out of a cry with logic and it never works. So I tried to think about why I was breaking apart.

I wasn't fooled about thinking she was 'The ONE'. The main purpose of the trip was to see IF she was, and my inner critics were watching so carefully they told me as soon as they knew.

“Nope. Not her”

I tried to hush them or chase them away but they wouldn't shut the hell up.

“See, look at that. Nope. Not her. Not the One”
“SHUT UP!!”

I knew I'd be taking a huge chance by going to a far off land to meet my 'true love'. I had shaped my heart and mind to hope that Anna was her for a long time. It took 4 months to create this amazing dream that would be dispelled in just a few minutes. Logically, I knew I had gotten out alright. I got the chance to see another country, met so many amazing people, and had experiences that will alter the course of my life for the better forever. But the realization of how far my poor intuition has to go stabbed me repeatedly, threw me to the ground and kicked me in the face. On top of all that, I was flat broke, 2 days from payday.

I pulled myself together by the morning. I had cried my tears and that was that. I was able to get enough money to take the girls out for the day and we had a nice time. We visited a museum, walked around, did a little shopping and ate at a couple of nice spots in Odessa. The time came for us to say goodbye, I kissed my darling on the cheek and we went our separate ways.





It's better to have loved and lost than not to love at all, right?

Next up- Double Date!
The Return of the Twins



The next one will wrap this up, I promise!

-Law

[GoodOlBoy]

Law this is a GREAT TR report with some FANTASTIC pictures.

I am curious, when you go back are you going to visit the same cities or are you going to be adventurous?   

[Law]

Thanks!! It thrills me that ppl are actually reading this stuff

The plan I have in the works now is to return to the same area (Odessa, Nikolaev Kherson) and stay for about a month. Roundtrip airfare will be around $1,200 and a modest apartment should be around $400-500 for a month, so why not stick around for a while? During that time I could travel to Kiev or another city by train and see more of the country.

When?- definitely during one of the warmer seasons...the soonest would be May-Jul 09. If not, probably the following year in '10 

-L

[Shadow]

Law, however things may progress your trip report has shown that you are made of the right material.
We all make our mistakes, but  you seem to have the right attitude and manage to keep your head straight even when surrounded by many beautiful women.

[ambach123]

Law, I have a question for you.

Are you in communication with any of the ladies that you met there?

Did any prospect develop as a result of your tour?

[Law]

Law, I have a question for you.
Are you in communication with any of the ladies that you met there?

Did any prospect develop as a result of your tour?

Hee hee, you have to wait like everyone else

Just kidding.

Yes, I'm still in contact with a handful of ladies. It's hard for me to gauge the 'seriousness' of our correspondence, tho. Two of the ladies that I'm most interested in won't have profiles up until next week. I have their cell phone numbers, but they don't speak English, so things with them will move rather slowly until their English comes along. I'll be dependent on agency translation services for a while...

The other gals are in touch, but not writing with the frequency I desire. I expect that it will take a few months for things to come to light, especially with the language challenge.

My plan is to communicate with a handful of ladies until my second trip, make another visit in 8-18 months and (ideally) put a ring on someone's finger before I hop on the plane to return home. That, of course means another 6-8 months for the visa, which protracts an optimistic marriage timeline out by almost 2+ years...and that's without having an actual marriage candidate in mind....

But I'm way ahead of myself. My first task is to see if the (non English speaking) ladies I've met are serious about learning English...

-L

[ambach123]

Law, please excuse me for my comments.

You had a good time and this is a marvelous trip report, but you spent at least 10 K or so on a trip, which at best would be called a fact finding mission.

There are no real prospects. To me the value for the time and money you spent is very limited.

That would be a lot of money even for a well to do person, for an average American that would be at least three months pay.

A much better or alternative approach may be to communicate well with two or three women for a few months and then visit them, on one trip; pick one city. You can use EM or bride.ru to find them.  These are the women who would have working knowledge of English, and would know all about you before meeting you. The cost would be 2 to 3 K per visit.
The most important point is that they have already accepted you as a potential mate, even before they met you.

[Diplomacy]

Law use the time to learn as much Russian as you can.  Do not be that guy that does not learn.  Your writing skills are great.  I think you got a very firm grasp of reality, and some Russian would go a long way to showing the women what type of man you are.

You got to get decisive and strong around the girls.  Learn one city and own it.  Make it your rodeo on your terms.  All this is my opinion of course.  Use the time as an asset and make the trip you just had rewarding. 

[GoodOlBoy]

Hello Law,

     I am going to throw in my 2 cents. Learning Russian is OK. But, make sure the lady you visit knows SOME English already.

     If you are even thinking of a serious relationship with a RW/UW, that lady should have some English vocabulary.

     Marriage to a RW/UW is a difficult process.

     If my wife had little or no English skills, it would have been an impossible transition for her.
     But of course, every situation is different. My wife wanted to start work right away (not cleaning toilets either). So she obviously needed to communicate with coworker's, in order to get a decent job.

     Fortunately, everything worked out OK. But it was because of her hard work and efforts to master the English language, before she left Siberia.