Well, fifth trip now and I decided to try and shed some light on the agency versus no agency regarding trips. I've taken 4, all on my own without agency help and now this one is with Jacks' help. Here's how it breaks down.

Trip 1:  
r/t airfare to Moscow then on to Samara (ultimate destination Dimitrovgrad)..............$590

Girlfriend rented apartment for 9 days:      $100 bucks.

Food and expenses for the 9 days:     $500 bucks.

Total:  ~$1200 bucks.

Trip 2:

r/t airfare to same destinations as trip one.  $475 bucks

Stayed at her apartment:    FREE

Expenses:     ~$500 bucks.

Total:  ~ $1000 bucks.

Trip 3:
r/t to St. Petes:   $325 out of Chicago on LOT.

Apartment for 9 days:  girlfriend got it for $90 bucks.

Expenses:  ~$500 bucks.

Total:  about $1000 bucks.

Trip 4:
r/t to Kiev.........$425
Apartment:    FREE, stayed in girlfriends apartment by myself. She stayed at parents.

Expenses: ~$500 bucks.
Total: ~ $1000 bucks.

As you can see, going it alone has advantages. I've never spent more than about a grand on any trip and they were all 9 or 10 days.

Trip 5: leaving Sunday to go to Madrid spain and then will fly from Barcelona to Kiev later in the week. I have coordinated this entire trip with Jack from Firstdream.com and it's going to kick arse. The above mentioned trips were to see one girl. Based on my arrangements to live, I was "locked" into spending the entire trip with each girl. That sucked in my opinion. Now, I am on my own with my own apartment. With Jacks help, this is my trip.

I arrive in Kiev at midnight. Jacks people pick me up at Borispol and take me to my apartment. At 9 AM I go to two agencies and look at catalogs and pick some girls to see when I return to kiev. I'm leaving later that night on a train to Dnepropetrovsk. I already have a date with a gorgeous girl on my first day there. I used Jacks help and sent ONE girl a beautiful letter, my photo and a rose hand delivered by Rostik. It blew her socks off and impressed the heck out of her. Cost??? 15 bucks. I spent more on that for a bottle of wine tonight with my friends. Doesn't sound like Jack is gouging me. Anyway, after my first date with this girl, Rostik or Ilya will take me to the train station for my overnighter to Dnepropetrovsk. Galina will meet me at the train station the next morning. I already have my first class ticket on the train, PAID FOR ALREADY. My first night in Kiev is paid for, my first night in Dnep is paid for. I will pay Galina and Rostik for picking me up at the airport and train station. Big deal. Upon arriving in Dnep, I have a date that night with a girl I've been writing to. First, I will go to Galina's agency and look at some girls and catalogs. Seeing who catches my eye. I've already sent my photos and bio to Galina and she already has several girls dying to meet me. My apartments are taken care of, my transportation is taken care of, everything is taken care of by Jack.

Even using an agency, I am proof that you can still have an economical trip. For all of the coordinating and all the phone calls, emails, faxes, ticket purchases, etc.... Jack has charged me a whopping sum of 50 bucks. Sounds like gouging doesn't it? This trip will not cost much more than any of my previous 4 and I am doing a heck of alot more and will have TREMENDOUS amounts of opportunities I did not have before. Too many options to list.

So, my advice is do what is best for you. If you want to work with a guy like Jack who will handle it and NOT gouge you, do it. If you want to do it yourself then do it yourself.  The key is to offer your actions in a civilized format and present the facts. let others decide the merit and short comings of your actions. Who gives a crap what they think anyway. The common goal is for everyone to enjoy a safe, economical and successful trip abroad. That is what we should wish for each other. The mode utilized to obtain this success and the cost of such success is individualized and private. To each his own and to all a good night!

Merry christmas,
Mark H.

... in response to My costs.....to this point......, posted by Mark H on Dec 20, 2001

hope you have a great trip, a happy holiday and much success...aloha

... in response to Hey Mark, posted by thesearch on Dec 20, 2001

May 10th. Just over 4 months away!!!! Thanks for asking. ANyway, yeah I have given up on the one girl time wasting events, only cuz Jack has forced me to! Smile. Jacks been pretty patient with me and has finally got me on the better path. I still haven't done as much as Jack wanted me to (regarding pretrip planning) but I've done enough to keep him calm. Eh Jack?  

ANyway, should be good. I'll be sure to give a nice detailed trip report.

Mark H.

... in response to My costs.....to this point......, posted by Mark H on Dec 20, 2001

I do not know who is the biggst pimp- you or Jack-her in da hood=it is cool to be a pimp-so you and Jack is da 'real' pimp daddy's.
Good luck and enjoy
what a christmas present
Joe
ps I guess that would make Jack the Pimp Santa-hahaha :)who loves ya jack?

... in response to Re: Hey dude......., posted by Mark H on Dec 21, 2001

I was trying to be make a fun remark but I guess old wounds never heal, but I will tell you what, I will do us both a favor and not respond to anything else you post. That way we don't have to go there-kudos
as far as LP-well its a love hate thing-he hates to love me-he just can't help it.
Joe

... in response to Hey dude......., posted by yoe on Dec 20, 2001

Because your posts are usually more articulate than this!

... in response to are you drunk or stoned, yoe?, posted by NK on Dec 20, 2001

I have been sober for over 6 years,,,,,,,,,,,,but the sad thing is when I was my drunkest or stondest-I still outpreformed most people at there bestest and soberest moments............don't worry about me bro-I am just feeling the christmas spirit.
Joe

... in response to Yoe went to the school of spyke!, posted by Jack on Dec 20, 2001

Anyone hear anything from him lately?