This is for you Thesearch.
thesearch I actually have an 18 page trip report of my two weeks there. I typed it up as the events were happening to me. Maybe I can clean it up and post it somewhere if there is enough interest. It is verly long report, very detailed. Here I will give a quick overview of my trip and thoughts. I am keeping this clean and innocent, so if PG bores ya, time to move on :-)
Jack if you were posting about me earlier, I do not view myself as quiet or reserved :-) I have been very busy and have not paid much attention to this board much.
About two years ago I think it was my father that brought to my attention the 'Russian Bride'. I smiled and did not think much of it at the time. Around that time I was using local personal internet websites to help me meet local women. One of those adds I responded to was by accident to a women who lived in Russia. (my serach was worldwide and I did not realize it at the time when I emailed her). I spoke with this women, but when I found out she was from Moscow, I had no intention to travel and meet her. She was very friendly and we emailed each other for a couple months. At that time I would have never dreamed of traveling to another country and culture to meet someone. Over the last year I did a lot of research, and last Feburary I decided to go for it and see for myself what was all about FSU women.
For a month or so I studied a lot of message boards. I emailed a few people that live local here to talk to them for ideas. I decided then I wanted to go on an 'arranged' trip. I knew very little about Ukraine or Russia at the time. I wanted the trip to be as easy on me as possible. I looked at all the big socials that the big boys run. I did not want to be part of them. I was more interested in the small time party/social setting. I contacted Jack as it seemed he was running a tour simlar to what I wanted to be a part of.
I was looking to go to St. Pet but I would not ba able to make the June trip, so I planned for the October trip to Kiev/Odessa. It was 8 months away from first planning, but the 8 months went fast.
A little about me. I am 28 years old never been married. Engaged once, but fate had other plans. I have no problems going on dates here back home. I have gone on too many in fact. I guess I am overly picky and it is not often I find that special someone I connect with. It is not that I have not tried. I am mildly finacialy successful and travel is not an issue I need to be concerned about due to my fortunate job. So I thought why not try.
I maybe bought about 10 addresses. I did not like that approach. I think I got maybe 2 responses from those. I personaly thought they were a waste of money. However one women I wrote from a address I still write weekly, we have become good friends, so in that respect it is worth it. I then tried and posted a personals add about me in Russian on a Russian personal website. I could not believe the response. For about two months I was getting about one new response in my email box a day. Most of the women were not going to be near where I was visitng so I did not write to a lot of them past the first email.
One of the women that wrote me was a medical student currently studying in Houston. We exchanged a few emails, and she seemed like a nice person. I gave my work a half weeks notice and I bought a ticket to Houston to visit her as she was leaving for Moscow soon. I viewed the trip to Houston to meet this Russian medical student as practice for my upcoming trip to Ukraine. I spent 4 wonderful days in Houston, and was wondering if I even needed to go to Ukraine as this women was everything I was looking for. I decided to continue with my trip to Ukraine, and see how things develope.
By the time October came around I had about 6 in Odessa I was interested in meeting, and 4 from Kiev.
The trip into Kiev had some issues. Due to 9-11 some flights were canceled and numbers changed. I was supposed to meet Jack and another guy in Amsterdam. Thier plane did not make it. I fly into Kiev barely able to speak the language (thank you Pimsleur) and not know if I was to meet anyone at the airport. After about an hour at the Kiev Airport and trying to get swindled by all the taxi drivers (one told me to cancle my flight to Odessa and he will drive me there, another said he knew who I was supposed to meet and they are waiting for me at the other airport, I guess I had that lost American look on my face.), I was able to get a hold of Rostick. Rostick is a younger guy, but very friendly and willing to help out. He rushed me into the car that was waiting for me. He was confused also why the others were not on the flight. I told them about the canceled flight in Detroit. Anyway he drives me off to center of Kiev to meet an owner of an agency.
I meet Tomorrah (spelling) and she showed me photos of dozens of interested women. I was asked to tell her what women interested me, and they would be invited to the party next week. I listed about 5 women and I was told they will be invited.
I then had to leave to catch my plane to Odessa. We arrive at the airport and I realize this is a different Airport and I never picked up my luggage from the other airport in the midst of confusion and persistant taxi drivers. I was not sure about the connecting flight since it was prearranged for me. i just thought it was at the same airport with the same airlines, and my luggage would be moved to the next aircraft like I am used to. Nope it was not. We did not have time. Basically I was without luggage for 3 days. Had to buy cloths and soap etc from the local bazzar in Odessa(that was an adventure :-), and my luggage got to visiting interesting places like Vieena on its way to Odessa to meet me. Not having my luggage took away two days in Odessa I could have used to meet others. The staff and tour organizers were very helpful and accomindating with me and the luggage issue.
I attened two parties in Odessa. The first one was confusing for the men and women involved. Each party had women I have been emailing for some time attend. This was awkward for me as then I did not want to ignore them, and at the same time I wanted to use the party as a chance to meet others. I decided I did not like the party/social setting, at least with women you already know.
On my arrival in Odessa I was excited to meet a certain women I have been emailing 2-3 times a week for 5 months. I find out that recently she meet another man, and they were happy together. Since our emails never really addressed any serious issues or feelings it was alright by me. I told her that this is what we are looking for and good luck with her new relathionship. She still wanted to be friends, and so be it. I meet a few other women in Odessa that I have been emailing, but I never connected with them. At this point I see how important it is not to go to meet just one your first time.
I did meet a women at the first party/social. We spent a good amount of time together, and I really connected with her. The chemistry was there, something that does not happen very often to me. Looking back I spent a lot of time with her, and to the point that I put off meeting other women. Some might think I should have used the opportunity to meet as many as possible. At the time I was content in getting to know this one women better.
I head off to Kiev. A totally different city. Everyone has walk-mans and cell phones. People are dressed more stylish. It was a more cosmopolitan city. The attitudes were also different. I meet 2 women that I have previously emailed. This time I did not invite them to the party/social. I wanted to go to the party/socials in Kiev not knowing any women there, so I would not feel obligated in entertaining just them during the party. The women I emailed previously and meet while I was in Kiev, I did not share a conection with.
I did meet a few wonderful women at the different parties. I did get the general feeling that most of the women I went out with in Kiev were more interested in a good time, a fancy dinner, and being 'seen' at the local hot spots. I am sure that was because I was dating the younger ones (age 24 was around the age I was going out with). However I did not get this feeling from the women in Odessa. There was a couple of women in Odessa I shared chemistry with. However a lot of time I was in Kiev I was thinking about that one women in Odessa. I am glad I went to Kiev, as it showed me how much I was thinking of Odessa.
I arrive home and to my surprise the women I was most interested in Odessa went out of her way to set up an email address so she would be able to communicate with me. She wrote a very heart felt email that made me melt. I knew at this point I will concentrate my attention on getting to know her. I knew at this point my thoughts for her were similar of her thoughts of me. Right away I planned another trip to visit just her. This trip I will take over New Years.
All in all I was pleased with my trip and the service of the tour directors. I would not hesitate to go again. I was the youngest of all the men that went to this tour. There was a 32 year old from England. Someone from Italy,a nd about 7 or so from the US. Most of the men were 40+. There were 2 or 3 that were 52+. Having a young baby face look to me a lot of the women thought I was 25 or so. I think I did get a lot of attention for my age. The Americans I meet on the street and talked to were all there for the same reason. To meet a women they have been communicating with. International dating is big business over there. The Ukraine I saw was not poverty stricken. There was wealth or opportunity of wealth everywhere I looked. The people were friendly and I was able to trust the ones I met. It is so easy to get swept up in all the emotions of the trip. The trip was very emotional for me. I met so many wonderful people, I wish I could have spent more time with a lot of them. It was so easy for me to 'connect' with the women there. I think it is because no matter what the physical beauty is there, so all you have to concentrate on is the womens personality. Thier ideals and personality I really was able to click with. That is important to me.
I plan on going to Ukraine several times in the future. I hope that things work out with me and my special Odessa women. I will know for sure after my New Years trip.
If anyone is really interested in the day to day happening of what I did, I can post a diary like report.
I appologize for the bad spelling and grammar.
MNKenr.
