Bad News

Well after a year or so battle with the bureaucrats RB was told that she lost her battle and will not get a letter of no objection. This simply means that she is not eligible to stay in the country beyond her original work authorization. So as of the end of August she will be back Russia. Now to all those who would ask… Why not get married? Or can’t she this? Or can’t she that? The answer is simply.. It doesn’t matter what she does at this point she has to either go back to school or back to Russia. Since she can’t stay in school her whole life it is going to be back to Russia. The reason for this goes back to the original program she came to the states on. It was crafted after the fall of the Iron Curtain and was designed to help westernize the former Soviet style communist countries. So the intent was that young people would come over, learn the American ways, go home and teach or influence change to bring about or help along reforms to create similar systems.

Now does it matter that the program was designed more than a decade ago. No. The requirement remains. She has to spend 2 years back in Russia before she is eligible to come back to the states regardless of her martial or any other situation. So while it is a ways off it looks like I/we will have to start planning what we will do for the 16 months she still needs in Russia to fulfill her requirement. The good news is that with my current occupation I have several different options available. It is also fortunate that the time she has to spend overseas does not have to be concurrent; therefore the time she has already gone back counts towards the requirement. However that doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges in getting her back, and we have to hope that her current employer will want her back. A fact I have no doubt of though.

So what then are the options then? Well the first and best option is if I can get on an international project. This would allow me to visit at least monthly and still come home on a semi-regular basis. I would continue to gain experience and move up, and best of all continue to collect a pay check! I hope that with a certain amount of persuasion I can work with my councilor at work to make this a reality. A process in fact I have already started. Of course with this options I would have some details to work out with my house and paying bills. Most bills are now online, but other I would still need to get back to take care from time to time. But these are small issues I’m sure will be easily ironed out as the time comes up.

The second option, one that I am willing to do but that RB doesn’t particularly like, is for me to travel from time to time to visit her the first and last few months she is away and then to take a leave of absence and join her in Russia for the bulk of her stay. I actually already have leads on a job or two in Moscow and have talked to some friends in the firm about this process. So I think it is very doable and would be a great adventure. The problem is that six months off may put me a year behind in my career, and I of course would not be making any money on regular basis (unless I did pick a job while in Moscow). So for these negative career related reasons RB is against the idea. Of more concern this route is also what I do with my house. If I am gone for 6 months I would have to rent it out and I would need people to take care of it for me. Bills shouldn’t be an issue because I would most likely just cancel any service that I can’t take care of online.

The third option is to try to see RB on a regular basis for the 16 months she is gone. While I don’t like the idea of a long distance relationship it would be doable. I have already figured out I could spend 3 years of vacation and spend 6+ weeks over there, of course spaced out to make it worth while. I could also see her for long weekends about every month and a half. While this would cost more than the other two options with the alternate travel through my work, NWA world perks miles, and a bit of frugal airline ticket shopping it certainly isn’t out of the question. It would leave me with a normal career track, regular paycheck, and I wouldn’t have to worry about my house or bills. The problem is that I would be in a very, very long distance relationship. So if I can find a way to see RB more often I’m going to take it.

My firm always plays up that they are flexible and willing to work with people to get through any situation and I should be consultant by the time RB leaves. So we will see if they put the effort up to back up their big talk! I am really hoping I swing the first option. However I maybe become even harder for friends and family back home to get a hold of for quite sometime starting in August. We shall see.