It’s believed that married men live longer.
Choosing a life partner is one of the most difficult and important decisions. Choosing a foreign spouse is also a costly decision.
My husband got married in his 50s. He surprised everyone twice: first by the fact of marriage and marriage to a Russian. Getting a Russian wife wasn’t the goal, it just happened.
So, what’s it like to have a Russian wife?
There are pros and cons. I can tell you only our family experience which may not apply to other international marriages.
My husband’s Russian wife is:
- A good cook.
I can cook 7 types of soup but Daniel eats only 3 out of 7. I don’t know how to cook meat. I don’t know American dishes and recipes, I’m learning though. I like to cook for relatives and friends. But lately I prefer do not spend too much time in the kitchen.
- A gardener
I’ve grown a lot of vegetables back in Russia. But here, in the US, I never know what to expect from my gardens partly because of climate differences. I don’t stress myself out about the crop either, there are some competitors for picking it up ( squirrels and birds).
- Funny (read superstitions)
Yes, I’m very superstitious. That makes Daniel smile a lot. Just recently I’ve mentioned that my left hand was so itchy. That means I’m supposed to get money. And a few days later we got a rebate check from our Health insurance company.
Since my arrival, I have met many people and made some friends. Once my husband thanked me for meeting a very interesting couple.
- Nice looking
Actually, I was nice looking woman in the past. In the US it’s very difficult to cope with surrounding lifestyle. Daniel often tells that I’m overdressed for dinner at the restaurant, so I have to wear jeans rather than nice dresses. Hopefully I won’t get to the point of wearing pajamas to a grocery store. However, I may go shopping not wearing make-up, I’m getting bad.
- With a wide open mind
Because I’ve never planned to relocate to the US I didn’t know anything about the country. So now I have to learn everything and quick. Some days I torture my husband with bad pronunciation, the others – with reading aloud, asking about a car maintenance or “how to say correct”. In a word, Daniel is never bored and even proud of my achievements.
- Handy and practical
I can help with firewood, gardening, shoveling snow, fixing zippers, assembling shelves.
- Positive
I try to find the positive in each difficult and different situations.
- Stubborn
No explanation, just trust me.
- Strong and sensitive at the same time
Daniel doesn’t quite understand that fact. He just has to live with it. I can cry when I feel helpless. He told me, “You were very strong when you lived in Russia”. Of course, I was and still is. The thing is Russian women like to feel weak near their men. Our men are our knights!
I guess that’s all that comes to mind now. Feel free to share with your opinion about my family or yours.
