Hello Lily! Welcome!
I also live in the State of MTF, my town is near Seattle. I have a long commute so I started transition a bit earlier.
If your dad is doing fairly ok with your transition I think you're quite lucky. The reactions among parents to transition has such a wide range and your experience is far better than many. As for getting misgendered by your dad my advice is to be patient with him. Maybe give him a gentle reminder once in awhile, this will take time. He has known you for many years, way longer than any of your friends or acquaintances. Also consider the additional changes you are considering with your transition - those are things that will probably make him more comfortable understanding and identifying you as his daughter. And I have learned a key part of my own transition isn't just physical appearance - it's my mannerisms, voice, choice of words and mindset which people perceive in facial expressions. And confidence.
Hormone Replacement Therapy. The answer depends which country you live in - some nations consider transition to be regular health care and will cover the costs as a routine medical necessity. Some countries leave it up to everyone to figure out their own private health insurance solution. Insurance companies generally rely on the WPATH guidelines for transgender care, which is another way of saying they won't pay for most things until you obtain a letter (a diagnosis) from a gender therapist, and in some cases from a doctor. If this sounds like a hassle it really isn't, because this isn't the only reason to see a gender therapist - it's a side benefit but the main massive benefit is your own knowledge and understanding yourself. I can say from personal experience I wish I had consulted with a qualified therapist much earlier - I am now making up for lost time. If you have health insurance, ask your insurance company and I bet a therapist is partially or fully covered. Pretty cool.
Mustache hairs. Yep, I had many and I permanently got rid of them all. We have a forum here on Susan's for hair removal and many other topics with transition. And I used to weigh a lot more than I do now. I now believe one reason I was previously overweight is I didn't truly like myself, back when I didn't really know who I was. And always remember - beauty originates from within. A baby's first words are never "you're ugly!" Beautiful or ugly is a social definition we learn, it is not set in stone. As I have developed and learned more I see absolute beauty in people and things I didn't previously understand.
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Lily I am so glad you joined! See you around here,
Kendra
