Well, first of all this forum is a great place to not feel alone. There are lots and lots of people here in a similar situation as yours. You're obviously free to dump your issues here all you want. As for meeting new people offline, being transgendered can actually be advantageous. While the subject is distasteful to some, to many others it is very interesting. You are a person who is brave enough to step out of the societal cookie cutter mold and fulfill yourself. At a party, you'd be way more interesting to meet than yet another boring accountant/armchair football fan.
I'd suggest joining a local special interest group or two-- something like a photography club or something else you're interested in.
As for the shoulder to cry on thing, you might want to look into local support or therapy groups. There are some specifically for TG folks, but there's a lot to be gained by being around a variety of people, too.
~ Lyric ~
