[Gotno Gizmo]

I'm a retired Englishman living in Lugansk with my Ukrainian sweetheart. I am often critical about the USA on these forums and think that it displays so many examples of the poorer side of human nature. Nethertheless I believe it is a country of good opportunity if an individual has the balls to reach out and grab it.
I am aware that if many Ukranians had the possibility to leave Ukraine and settle in the USA they would sieze the opportunity. I also believe that many Ukrainians struggling to make ends meet here would think that you would be raving bonkers to give up your life in the USA to come to settle in Ukraine.

Here In Lugansk I walk past a stall selling counterfeit (bootlegged) DVDs, with many titles from western countries. When I have said that would not be possible in my country because the Police would arrest them, close their stall and sieze their equipment, I was told "that won't happen, it's owned by the Chief of Police"!
I have well educated Ukrainian friends earning subsitence wages. If they own their appartments after the collapse of communism and only pay service charges life is bearable. If they have to pay a full commercial rate rent to the property owner, then like many of my fellow countrymen life is little better than subsistence living. The roads are full of potholes and many buildings bear various marks of delapidation.
Of course not everything about Ukraine is negative, or I wouldn't be here, but then I have a British pension and I'm not dependent on the Ukraine economy for my bread and butter.
My advice to you, come and spend more time here before you commit yourself to such a major discision.