I love my life.

[Celery Stalk]

Totally accepted as a woman everywhere, or maybe at 6'2" and fairly fit looking I intimidate anyone who is anti.   Being able to walk down the street holding hands with my girl and no second glances is a sign of how far Tasmania has come.

Karen.

We did receive a flabbergasted look from an older woman once. I suppose she is NOT a Denver resident and the site of 2 women kissing was oh-so shocking! So we kissed some more. hehe

[Cindy]

Well Celery you have been reading my mind I'd say.  Life is great.

Uni Exams over and I think I did pretty well, although another week before results start to come out, and I am in love with a wonderful woman who I will get to see again tomorrow. 

Totally accepted as a woman everywhere, or maybe at 6'2" and fairly fit looking I intimidate anyone who is anti.   Being able to walk down the street holding hands with my girl and no second glances is a sign of how far Tasmania has come.

Life is good.

Karen.

Hope the exams went well Sis. Is this the end of first or second year? Time flies when we are naughty. Hugs to your lovely lady as well.

Are you coming over to the big island? A few of us are trying to hook up for Christmas debauchery, or at least dinner. Catherine Sarah can finally sit down again and the brands look pretty good IMO.

Cindy

[Jillieann Rose]

I wrote in August of my optimism and I still have it. Divorce came a month and 1/2 ago, sold the family home a couple of weeks ago and will have my name legally changed on Monday.
I now live in a house and have my own apartment down stairs. The owner has become good a friend.
She is such a sweet interesting person and has been introducing me to her friends. Yes she know all about my pass but accepts me as another women in fact as a sister. I feel so alive and free.
Finally I am accepted as one of the girls where ever I go and what ever I do.
As I said before I have lost me family and many so called friends. If that is the price I have to pay so be it.
My joy is real. I am now real and living. I like who I am.
Girls and guys please don't let your fears rob you of real life as it should be.
Nothing absolutely nothing is worth the price of living a lie.
Hugs

[justmeinoz]

Uni exam results are out at the end of this week so fingers crossed I will make it to 2nd Year Cindy.
I have dropped Gender Studies and biology and am taking Psych so I can hopefully put something back into our community. According to a Psychologist I was talking to there are no GLBTIQ people in that speciality here.

I will be organising a trip to the mainland before Christmas, and will let you know closer to the date.
Hopefully with Andrea as well, and introduce her to my family and friends over there.   Off to Launnie tomorrow to be with her for a couple of days, then we will be here at the weekend for the 'Blondie, Saints and The Stranglers '  concert on Saturday  , and the Marriage Equality campaign BBQ on Sunday.   

It's all happening on 2-Head Island!!

Karen.

[Miniar]

I've found a certain entertainment in being completely out in the open about my trans status because it affords me the chance to make people so utterly and completely confused that it's practically delicious.
Like when I stood outside smoking with a couple people and was talking to the girls that were there about the importance of having the right bra. I don't remember exactly what I said but it was along the lines of "Back when I had tits, if I put on the right bra and the right shirt then it was like I was two sizes thinner and far, FAR, more attractive. Got free pizza once." and the guy that was outside with us looked at me with pure confusion in his eyes and went
"back when you had tits?"
"yes"
"were you really fat or?"
"nope, I had tits"
"but?... was it fat?"
"nope, tits"

So on, so forth, 'till one of the girls took pity on him and explained the situation in simple terms.
Inside my head I danced the dance of pure mischief.

[Kevin Peña]

I have a 100+ GPA in school.

I have great friends and a loving sister/father.

I can play the violin and piano.

I know 2 languages.

I am very healthy.

[AnOwlForTara]

I finished my thesis! 

[Eleanor]

Currently approaching my third month of HRT here in Japan, and growing more and more fond of the person I see in the mirror each day. I was actually super-apprehensive about coming here because of all that was going on in my life, but I decided to take a chance, and it wound up being such a good decision. I've made so many wonderful friends here, all of whom just treat me like one of the girls, and while some people might find transitioning in a foreign environment away from one's support network more difficult, I've actually found it so much easier transitioning here than I did back home. Nobody here knows who I was, what my old name was, what I used to look like... So I feel no obligation at all to hold onto any semblance of the person I was before coming out, and am nothing more or less here than me.

Oh, and I fit into teeny Japanese girls' clothes (as long as I pick medium or larger). A surprise, but a welcome one! I guess I can thank my not very broad shoulders, as one of my cis friends here from America isn't as lucky. :'D

[Stephanie.Izann]

Every once in a while I'll post on here, because Life changes...right?

So far, it's been great! My son knows about me, my wife who now considers herself to be a lesbian (and she's a hottie). It's been hard only because I have a sick baby girl, but I've never wanted to give up with my whole transition process. Most of my friends know. And even though my transition has gone very slow because of certain things, I've kept on going. I love my new self, and being able to share it with my loved ones. My wife and I have such a blast now, probably even more than before. We love the new sense of intimacy since it seems to have improved tenfold. My son even said to be he likes the new me better! And my friends see how happy I am, and that make them happy too.
I've never been happier with my life. Yes sometimes you run into complications with things but they will be eventually resolved. Nobody said it was going to be easy and the roller coaster of new emotions sometimes add to the drama, but know that you will be happy in the end as I have been. Also, to those new to this game, no person in here has the best plan. You have to follow your own. My transition was a slow but planned one and that is what worked the best for me. Different people different ways.  Hope this helps those looking for some light.

[DeeperThanSwords]

Even if I mess up this final year at University (very likely), I'll still have a degree and graduate in June. No matter what, I have my MA, the Honours year is just an optional bonus.

I also have some awesome friends who love me.

I'm going to be ok.

[Zumbagirl]

Ok. I sometimes think that people coming here to find out about being trans must go away with the impression that we all go through hell.

Over to you...

I myself couldn't be happier than I am today. I wouldn't even trade places with a GG. To me the big one was srs surgery. It changed my life in a subtle and yet profound way. From day 1 after surgery until today, I have never had to worry about my gender ever again. It is physically obvious, even to the point of being irregardless of identity documents (although having them match is a big plus too). Once the operation was done, I was able to take that part of my brain that focused on my gender and dedicate it to other things like living a good life. My career took a major swing upwards after my transition. Career-wise I succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. I was able to focus on living my life, building new relationships with people, feeling comfortable talking to strangers, everything that was the complete opposite of where I was. If a time traveller was able to see the future and tell me where I am today, but 15 years ago, I would have told them they were nuts.

In the beginning it all looks next to impossible. How can this be done? What if a doctor won't prescribe me hormones? What if a doctor says no and I can't get surgery? You know the usual. I didn't come into the office of my shrink on day 1 in a dress, that came later. What I found was that I was no different than anyone else that goes through this process. The key thing was determination to me. If I was going to do this, I didn't want to half do it. I wanted it to be done.

I went throuh the regular old standards of care and by the time I had the required 2 letters for surgery, it took me a few months to realize that the only force in the universe that would ever stop me from getting that surgery was me. I was done with the standards and free to live my life from shrinks, doctors, etc. All I needed was the cash to get me to Montreal. It took me a few years of full time living while I was also recovering career-wise from the transition to be able to afford the surgery and once I was there, I couldn't help but think I needed a couple of good pinches because it was actually going to happen.

I just remember the days when my surgery date was coming. I was afraid to stub a toe, get a parking ticket, get a toothache or anything that would deny me my day in the sun. Eventually the stars and planets did all line up for me and then I knew it was my turn. I was going to be able to finish what I started. Then that day came and passed. And here I am. older, wiser, and happier

[Saffron]

wow zumbagirl, what a story.

I hope I can get too the happy ending 

[DriftingCrow]

I thought this picture from Interesting Engineering was appropriate for this thread:



I just finished all my exams and they weren't as horrible as I thought they'd be!!  Yay! Vacation!

[AmyBee]

I just got the all-clear from all family members I'll be seeing at Christmas, and yeah, I get to be Amy all day, and from now on. I've got a very promising job interview scheduled for the 3rd of January. The long-term stuff I've been working on is finally starting to pay off a little and yeah, it feels pretty good.

[Sarah Blomsterhatt]

I just love my life.

Sure, there are ups and downs, but that is part of life. But I have never, ever felt like I didn't love my life, even when things have been at it's lowest. It feels abit strange putting it into words like that, but that is truly how i feel. I just love life, my life. Given the chance to change anything I wouldn't change anything, because for me, my life is perfect.

I just love my life.

[JohnnieRamona]

Even though I'm still in boy mode, the last six months I've been on HRT have been the happiest months of my life. Even though it doesn't pay enough, I like my job, and I'm in the best relationship of my life with a wonderful, supportive woman

Yay!

[K8]

The agony and the agonizing are worth it.  I am living the dream.  I lost no family or friends in my transition.  A few acquaintances rejected me during transition, but far more accepted me.  Less than two years after my surgery I fell in love, hard.   I am now married to a woman who adores me and whom I adore.

I am still settling into my new status, but life is good.  I have found that most people treat me the same, regardless of whether or not they know I'm trans, and their attitude doesn't change if they didn't know but find out.  That has helped me relax and not worry about trying to hide my past.  It is wonderful to just be myself.

There are still times when what's-his-name appears in my head, so in a sense I am still transitioning.  Or perhaps I should say that I am building a new life.  That new life is wonderful.

Dare to live.

- Kate

[kinz]

i'm probably the happiest i've ever been in my life.  right now, right here.

[Devlyn]

The agony and the agonizing are worth it.  I am living the dream.  I lost no family or friends in my transition.  A few acquaintances rejected me during transition, but far more accepted me.  Less than two years after my surgery I fell in love, hard.   I am now married to a woman who adores me and whom I adore.

I am still settling into my new status, but life is good.  I have found that most people treat me the same, regardless of whether or not they know I'm trans, and their attitude doesn't change if they didn't know but find out.  That has helped me relax and not worry about trying to hide my past.  It is wonderful to just be myself.

There are still times when what's-his-name appears in my head, so in a sense I am still transitioning.  Or perhaps I should say that I am building a new life.  That new life is wonderful.

Dare to live.

- Kate

Good to hear from you! Hugs, Devlyn

[DeeperThanSwords]

K8 and Transtrender - very glad to hear you're happier.