Happy Life with a Russian Wife

To Understand Each Other and To Grow Together

I have dreamed to launch this project long since I moved to the U.S….

A very romantic love story has lasted for four years. We met in an international program in the Russia Far East the day before my birthday, and this day was the beginning of our relationship.

We were two very self-sufficient adults, who had lived long enough without our significant others. Therefore, we have hesitated to unite our lives in one for a long time.

For me, moving to America meant leaving behind two children (though they were grown-ups already), a large circle of friends and acquaintances, and my  professional career (of a journalist, a manager, a trainer, and a consultant), and turn over a new leaf.

I had no idea what I will do in another country. All that I had was love and hope for the understanding and support of my husband.

Four more years have passed since then. Our understanding of and support for each other grow, as well as the warmth of our relationship. I cannot say that everything happened by itself and has always been rosy. Sometimes I searched the forums of Russian women living abroad for answers to difficult questions I had. Sometimes I found them, but usually not.

It happened not only because those answers never existed and still don’t. In fact, there was much advice that was given whole-heartedly, generously and emotionally. However, every piece of advice reflects nothing else than the views and experience of those who give it. And it did not mean that following it directly could lead to the results I would have liked to get.

Most frequently, it is impossible to follow any advice, because every family is unique. And at the same time, virtually all international families pass through several stages of adaptation. In case they don’t, they split due to mutual misunderstanding. Simple misunderstanding it is… Just different expectations from a partner that have not been expressed out loud… Just different traditions… Just different cultural experience…

Now I know that practically all, even the most loving couples go through this:

• forming-up financial relations;

• creating a new space in the house that would be convenient to both spouses;

• opening up relationships with children and parents, and other relatives of the other spouse;

• division of responsibilities;

• creating new habits and family traditions;

• creating a supportive environment for the spouse who has immigrated to another country;

• overcoming the language barrier;

• professional realization of the spouse who have immigrated to another country;

• and so on and so forth.

You are unlikely to skip those stages! Thence how the life of an international couple develops.

Moreover, now I know that many wonderful families had difficulties at each of those stages. And overcame them…

How? This is something we are going to discuss in our blog.

We will:

• use correspondence with specific situations analyzed there;

• ask questions which will help you find the right solutions not for someone else, but for your family;

• answer your questions;

• invite experts on different life issues;

• use the tips of the leading family psychologists;

• carry out special online-meetings;

• invite you to special events at the ” Star Ladies’ Life ” Club; and

• conduct personal coaching session.

And who are WE?

My name is Lubov Latypova, I am a life-coach. I live in the U.S. as I have already mentioned, in the state of Colorado. What life-coaching is and what my specific direction is about, I will tell you in one of the next posts.

I have two wonderful partners:

• Julia Latypova, a translator and the project manager of the «Happy Life with Russian Wife» Project, and

• Eugeniya Skorodelova, the executive director of the “Star Ladies’ Life” Club, who provides support in technical and financial matters in all our projects.

And, as always, we have the support of my husband, a university professor Dan Hilleman. By the way, he is a communications specialist.

Our blog is in two languages – Russian and English, so that it can be read by both partners. We believe this is very important for enhancing mutual understanding within the family.

We have also started a special e-subscription  “International Family: Learning to understand each other,” in which the emphasis is primarily made on overcoming language barriers in a real life.

Welcome to our circle!