It's been 3 1/2 years since Marina and I have married and much has changed. We've moved 4 times, bought and sold a house, been through some times where money is tight, and now we are starting on an easier life (for the moment). Through it all, we have faced a lot of adversity and overcome it. It hasn't been easy, but we have prevailed. For those of you just starting out on this journey, be forewarned that the first 2 or 3 years are the hardest. If you survive those, then life gets a lot easier.
Now we are back in Iowa. I am back at work in my old building and just a few short feet from my old desk. We are back in our old apartment complex, except in a much nicer apartment. :-) All in all, the last 2 years in California almost seem like a dream to us. It's like we never left. It's kind of weird.
Marina becomes more and more American with the passage of time. For a long while, we weren't sure if she would adapt. Her last trip to Ukraine sealed the deal, however, and she now seems more contented with life here. She has even become almost pro-American when she goes to Ukraine. Many Ukrainians think that Americans are fat, stupid and lazy and that we are just lucky that we have a good economy. My wife found herself getting into arguments with locals over this on her last trip. In her opinion, Americans work a lot harder than Ukrainians (fewer vacations, more hours), and we are wealthy because most of us work hard for it. I watch this adoption of her new country with interest and a little satisfaction. Patience and understanding have finally rewarded me.
Otherwise, I have little to report. We are still busy redesigning our web site, with new information we received from our distributor. I installed a new navigation menu, which changed the look and feel of the sight. I also added in a site search engine to allow people to search the 100+ pages we have created so far. There's still a lot to do before we go prime time though. We need to get a reseller's license, set up a business account at the bank, visit the SBA for startup information, find a good web host, set up credit card processing, finish web pages and encrypt them, etc. If we are lucky, we'll get our site up and running by late February (don't tell the missus that though...) :-)
All in all, I would have to say that we have gotten over "the hump", so to speak. We aren't stressed out anymore, and disagreements (and tempers) are short lived. Marina misses Ukraine still, but she isn't counting the days until her next vacation anymore. We are growing together more and more, and we find ourselves thinking the same thoughts at the same time. We complete each other sentences and pick up on each other's moods more quickly. Our conversations are honest and open, and the missus has mellowed out considerably since she first came to America. All in all, I am happy to say things are going well.
For those of you starting this, all I can say is be patient and understanding with your lady when she comes over. It's a big step for her and not all women adjust easily to life over here. Mine needed a lot of time, both here and back home, before she could finally commit to living here. I hope you all have the best of luck.
