**NOTE** Please, no stupid posts about me being a loser, an idiot, or a troll. I took the time to type this out for the few of you who might want to go. If you have further questions just send me a message.
You make too much sense. If I typed that I would get hate messages from losers. Overall, you seem like a reasonable man who is the perfect age to take a year or two off. If you are married or have lots of debt I take all this back. If you are single and don't have many loans you are already on the right track to freedom and the time of your life.
Questions I get from relatives:
Is it safe? Yes and no. If you are a drunk idiot like the British fools in Riga, Latvia you will probably get in big trouble. If you are looking for sex only you will probably get in trouble. If you are looking for a legitimate relationship don't worry. If you are sober and polite your biggest worry will be avoiding crazy drivers and getting sick (health facilities still suck).
Do they hate foreign looking people, Jews, and gays? First off, most areas are very diverse. The Soviet Union was filled with many different cultures. Yes, some people don't particularly like Caucasians (Georgians, Armenians, etc.). You are not one though, so don't worry about it. Jews? I would say that most are not crazy about Jewish people. That might be putting it mildly. Gays? Don't go if you are gay. Gays are hated with a passion by many. If you are gay keep a low profile about it. Some will be fine with it, but it isn't Amsterdam. Blacks? Lots of black basketball players from the USA. The few I have talked to have no problem. If you are black and from Africa I would be scared. Muslims? By the number of Turkish guys with pretty young girls I would say that the girls don't mind.
Is the water safe? No. Don't drink it. Depending where you go it isn't always warm and the water pressure may suck. If you are like me you wll get the runs more than usual.
Do they like Americans? Dumbest freakin' question I hear. The whole world likes Americans as long as you are not a political leader. You can thank rap music and Hollywood for that. In this part of the world American males are on par with Jesus. Did you know that the Lithuanian leader is an American? True. He was an exiled Lithuanian who spent time in the Reagan administration.
Should I smile? Yes, I get this one. Nobody is going to mug you because you smile. Relax.
Are the girls really that pretty? Depends where you are. Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, and most of Russia are known for their girls. Most Western guys go a bit crazy when they arrive for the first time. You get use to it until you leave. The girls dress to kill. I think that by 13 every girl is dressing to try and get your attention. They have also mastered the art of giving you a look that makes you sweat. Any guy who has been over knows what I am talking about. I still don't know if you are supposed to chase them down or not.
They never had a feminist or sexual revolution either. So they don't have that Western attitude that many of you hate. Are they perfect? Not at all. People are people. Some are jerks. Some are angels. Some are crazy. Some are calm. But they are all people. Do they make better girlfriends, wives, and mothers? Without question. That has to do with the culture they come from. You don't hear of many local men changing diapers or cleaning dishes.
Are they all scammers? I like this one. Many on this forum will scream that they are ALL scammers. That all they want is your money. Of course, these same posters seem to ignore the fact that many American women won't give an average chump the time of day unless he has a certain car, a certain job, or a certain college degree. Once again, people are people. I will say that the normal Post-Soviet girl is not as interested in how you look on the outside as the American girl. They seem to get off more on how you handle yourself than how you look. They definitely don't respect a "modern man" type. Many of the local guys are not exactly winners if you know what I mean. So that helps you out as well.
Do they actually want older guys? For the most part the answer is yes. Just visit any of the regional social networking sites. See who the teenage girls are sending public messages to. They aren't sending them to teenage boys. That is for sure. This has to do with the fact that mature men are revered in their society. Especially mature men who have their s*** together. I am far from being a "mature" man, but if I was I would be in heaven. As it is, I know girls much younger than me who treat me as if I am a child. If you have a baby face you will get that a lot. It doesn't matter how old you are. If you have some grey hair that is a major plus with many girls no matter their age.
Are the girls easy to meet? MMM, yes. Meeting new people is always a hard thing to do for many of us. I would encourage you to do something that will force you to meet locals. Males, females, young, old...doesn't matter. Just get to know people. If they see you are single and they like you they will go out of their way to find you a girl. Seems like everyone knows some pretty young female who would like to meet you. DO NOT GO TO BARS OR DISCOS TO MEET GIRLS. NEVER DO THIS. This is where the scammers and their handlers live. Most girls do not go to these places (even if they have the money) to find boyfriends. This is not the West. If you are stupid and lazy somebody will take advantage of you. Come to think of it, this will happen to you in the West as well.
Good date places? I always get this one. I like the parks (if the weather allows it). The one thing the Soviets did is they created some really nice public parks. Clean, safe, and very beautiful. You can also meet girls in the park. Many go there to have bag lunches with their friends. Other places include Double Coffee (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Ukraine). Very cool places that are all over. The waitresses speak decent English as well.
http://www.doublecoffee.com/ Cili Pizza is a popular place in those same places. People love to spray ketchup over their pizza for some reason. Girls love it and it will remind you of home a little.
One final note...If you go, don't be a DJ. Seriously, just be who you are. Have fun, take notes, pictures, video. If you are an American, be proud of that but also have respect and understanding for the place you are at. If I hear another American idiot tell me how he hates this or that about the place while he has coffee with his 17 year old girlfriend I will go nuts. Peace.
