wanted to introduce myself

[slim 1,519]

Welcome to the forum Ryan!

You've come to the right place, VJ is an invaluable resource for information. I don't know how I would've gotten this far without it. The Russia forum is great for Russia specific questions; there are many! Everyone on here has/is going through the process and should be able to provide you with some pretty good answers. Feel free to ask about anything and everything. Hope we can help!

Seems like your original questions have been answered, so all I'll add is this:

Start gathering your tax info, bank statements, a letter from your employer, etc.; you'll have to send them to Elina soon. (Not really soon, but it'll be here before you know it! Better to be prepared.)

Start saving money! There are literally THOUSANDS of dollars worth of expenses that women need that men don't even think about. (Ever bought skin toner or those little cotton swabs that go with make-up remover? No? Me neither! But they all cost money!) There are going to be hundreds of products in your bathroom that weren't there before and several more throughout your home... all cost money!!! Maybe she's bringing all that girly stuff with her, but I suspect you'll be heading to the pharmacy or grocery store or maybe even one of the high-end department stores for some of the "made in France" stuff. Be prepared!!! I can't stress enough the necessity of saving money PRIOR to her arrival. I was going check-to-check (due to saving for her ticket, getting a new place, etc.) trying to get her here, and once she arrived, the extra money necessary for these "necessities" was nowhere to be found. (Store credit cards suck!) So, start saving..... NOW!!!

Elena adds: "Tell him to clean his apartment. It must be very clean for a Russian woman. She will clean again, yes of course, but he must already have clean."

Tea is good, and you're going to have to start wearing those little slippers (tapochki) around your house. Also, I don't know about you, but I'm a carnivore, and my refrigerator is now full of everything from lettuce and greens to pineapples and tomatoes. (Prior to her arrival, I don't think a piece of fruit ever graced the inside of the fridge with it's presence.) I still eat a lot of meat and pizza and that kind of stuff, but it's prepared with a salad or soup or something like that for her to eat. Your "American" diet is probably going to get changed a little. Start getting used to more salads, soups (with mayonnaise!) and stuff like that. If you already eat that sort of thing, you should be golden.

One key thing, try to find ESL classes or something else that she'd be interested in doing before she arrives. She's going to get quite bored and lonely sitting at home while you work or whatever. If you find something (or some friends for her, Russian speaking young ladies) in your area for her to do prior to her arrival, she shouldn't have such a hard transition. I thought Elena would be able to get here and find just what she was looking for, but she's been quite upset as of late because she has nothing to do. At first I thought it was her lack of enthusiasm for seeking out new things, then I realized that I didn't really have anything going for her either. She speaks good enough English to get out and find something constructive to do, but she may be a little overwhelmed with the process. I don't know, maybe Cincinnati just sucks! (You should fare a lot better in NoCal.) Looking back, I think I probably should've sought out some young Russian girls in the area for her to have a "friend base" already established here. Also, having ESL classes or maybe something else she's interested in (I know you mentioned the church, that would be a good place to start) already lined up for her will give her a head start on getting adjusted to the small differences here.

Good luck with everything. Keep us posted on what's going on...