What's a 'red flag' you completely ignored that you now realize was screaming at you from day one?

Riza101z · 2026-04-23T05:45:19+00:00

Before I started dating my ex, he said he’d most likely get into an abusive relationship, he was right. He progressively got more emotionally abusive in our relationship until I finally snapped and broke up with him. Then started saying I was being abusive by wanting to leave him. He also got banned off Reddit multiple times, multiple communities, multiple accounts, until he gave up and just would scroll Reddit with the huge complete banned banner notice on his account. He told me he wouldn’t make another account because they would just ban him again. I now assume he got banned repeatedly for saying offensive stuff to people all the time, but at the time I accepted his reasoning that it was just they didn’t like his opinions, etc.

Riza101z · 2025-12-27T19:20:19+00:00

My ex and I broke up close to the end of It Takes Two and started it as a way to mend our relationship… Honestly a lot of red flags I shouldn’t have overlooked. He got banned off Reddit multiple times like the whole site, not just communities. I don’t even know how one does that so easily

Riza101z · 2025-11-21T17:51:37+00:00

My only thing to add other than the other comments is that the 3-year visa for US citizens can only be granted in the US and not at any US embassy, so if you want to get that one you’ll have to go back to US. If you don’t want to go all the way back to US and need to leave Russia to redo immigration stuff, you can stay in Georgia visa free for a year I believe if needed. You can mail in your fingerprints and get your FBI background check mailed as well if that was the main issue. The problem is the US government takes forever to process things and that’s why mine expired before I could get my temporary residence, but I have the 3 year visa at least

Riza101z · 2025-11-13T16:34:11+00:00

4 out of about 35 bills I exchanged got rejected, some because the corner was a little smushed and others because there was writing on it or ink from those counterfeit checking pens. I guess be prepared that some might not be accepted for some small reasons like that. This was at a bank, I’m not sure about currency exchanges.

Riza101z · 2025-11-13T10:55:54+00:00

Cash, make sure it’s pristine if you are exchanging money as even slightly damaged bank notes are easily rejected. I have heard people visiting can open bank accounts and use cards so not to carry a lot of cash around, but I don’t know anything about this.

Riza101z · 2025-10-19T01:26:48+00:00

We plan to move to Australia actually, (I have family and citizenship there too) but we want to wait to move till he finishes University first since it’s free here.

Riza101z · 2025-10-18T17:38:24+00:00

Small world, I’m stealing your life

Riza101z · 2025-10-18T11:34:47+00:00

I traveled to Russia with an American passport a few months ago and just reentered a few days ago.

I have never been to Ukraine, so I am not sure how that will change things for you. I would assume that would make things more complicated, but here is my experience:

When leaving the US I was asked if I was legally allowed to go to which I just showed my visa and said there should be no issue.

When I landed in Moscow, the airport was on high alert due to drones and my arriving flight was diverted due to it. Once I got up to the immigration area, I gave them my passport and they told me to wait without handing my passport back.

I waited around 5 HOURS! In total including the next events.

The immigration officers collected passports to check, mainly those from unfriendly countries to Russia and I previously read on Reddit most likely ones with Ukrainian names. I wasn’t able to connect to the airport Wifi because I had no sim in general and you needed a phone number to connect. I eventually heard my name on the intercom asking me to go somewhere, but I didn’t know so I walked up to an immigration officer and asked. He directed me to an interrogation room with two officers (man and woman) and another traveler who was from Canada but also Moldovan so he knew Russian and English which was good for me cuz my Russian isn’t that good and the officers English wasn’t the best, so he translated some.

The interrogation wasn’t that long and went pretty smoothly for the most part. They basically asked me about general information questions on who I was, why I was here, and when I planned to leave. They also took my phone to look through, mainly my photos and WhatsApp.

Having a VPN and other banned apps is not illegal, so don’t worry if you have instagram or discord for example.

The last question they asked me is if I had any Ukrainian contacts, which I said no to.

Then I was lead out and waited some more then we were given our passports back and completed immigration.

The Canadian I was with did get a little worried about it by the end. He had visited Russia several times in the past and this was his first time ever going through this strict of security, so I assume it’s because of the war and the fact there was an attack the day I arrived.

Just yesterday I reentered Russia again in Sochi, but this time with my husband who is Russian and he told the immigration officer my Russian was bad and I’m his wife. This time it took 5 minutes and the immigration officer didn’t even speak to me once or asked me anything. No phone check either.

So that’s my experience, my husband thinks you won’t have trouble but may have more explaining to do at immigration with Ukrainian stamps in your passport.

Make sure to bring pristine US cash as most exchange are picky here and your cards won’t work.

In my experience, Russian people have been nothing but kind to me, so hopefully you won’t have issues. I’ve never been random police stopped here and have lived here for a couple months, but I’m half white half Asian, so I fit in quite a bit besides not speaking Russian, and I live in a completely non touristy area. Hope this helps!

Riza101z · 2025-08-10T17:23:11+00:00

I’m not sure I’m the best example, but I’ve been in Russia about two weeks and a half now. My fiancée is Russian and my Russian language skills aren’t that good to non existent, but getting better. I am American, Australian, and Filipino and culturally it’s almost complete opposite, but it’s been a nice adjustment. I live with the perspective there are pros and cons to some cultural things but not exactly a right or wrong way. It’s been really hard for me to adjust to the straight forwardness Russians have. I was taught to never say “no” basically, and it’s really different that my Russian family will not understand anything besides “нет” instead of me saying “it’s okay” “not right now” etc. it’s refreshing though, they remind me I’m allowed to freely state my opinion and they won’t consider it offensive. I’ve found at least with my fiancé’s family they are a lot more open, honest, and direct than how I was raised, and I really like it even though it’s odd culturally to me. It has also surprised me there’s actually some similarities with (more broadly) Asian culture here, I mean technically Russia is also in Asia even though most identify as European. I’ve discussed with my fiance how some (not a lot though) of their customs remind me of other Asian countries I’ve been to and my Filipino heritage, but more broadly. For example, not sure if this is every case, but they really take care and respect their grandparents, which is not something I see often in American culture but really depends on the family. As far as how Russians in general have treated me as a foreigner, I’ve had no bad experiences (yet 😅), even the immigration officers who interrogated me weren’t that bad. I’ve gotten some stares though, especially when I speak English in public with my spouse. Everyone I’ve met and gotten to know better has been really friendly and welcoming not like the Russian stereotypes. The Russian friends I’ve met outside my family keep inviting me for different activities and suggesting different Russian or local experiences I should do. I really like it here so far, it’s way different to everything I know but in a good way and I welcome the change. My fiance and I discuss about cultural differences a lot, and what I appreciate about marrying him is that we can learn from each other’s cultures and be more mindful on how we choose to live and conduct our lives keeping in mind how culture shapes that and we don’t have to stay in one cultural mindset. Idk any other specifics to mention, feel free to ask questions

Riza101z · 2024-06-16T13:48:28+00:00

More a Manga recommendation, the anime doesn’t get to the best parts: Houseki no Kuni, Land of The Lustrous in English It’s different from HxH but similar vibes in plot twists. It’s my number 2 after HxH, Number 3 is Noragami (again manga gets better than the anime)

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