One disadvantage is that I live in an apartment complex which means lots of neighbors. Though I mostly keep to myself some people still know who I am some how while I have no clue who they are. I can only imagine and dread the stares and questions I may experience when I eventually venture out of my apartment with side burns and facial hair    Today even a neighbor whose name I don't know asked "You're not trying to be a boy are you?" referring to my short hair cut. I was caught off guard and unsure of what to say so I replied "Sometimes". While I don't plan on explaining anything to my neighbors unless they ask I do intend to talk to my landlord about my transition. I don't want to freak out the person who is responsible for letting me live here with subsidized housing rates. I'm hoping talking with her will prepare her for my transition so she won't be freaked out when I do start looking and sounding different. ~hope

My roommates' dad doesn't know I'm transitioning while the other members of her family know. Yesterday they came to us and they were really cool about it, even her dad who didn't even seemed to be surprised how different I look and sound xD Some people just don't notice it, crazy. And at home, my neighbours well...one of them came to me and said something like "how are you girl?" toning the word girl. Like she would letting me know that I'm a girl cause I doesn't seem to know it xD

Jared, I'm glad your roommates' family is understanding    It's funny how some people seem to notice even the slightest change(s) while others are oblivious. Was your neighbor being a jerk or teasing you? ~hope

Quote from: desperate believer on May 26, 2013, 04:43:04 PM
One disadvantage is that I live in an apartment complex which means lots of neighbors.

I live in a trailer park in the South. A few years ago my gf and I was helping her dad after his divorce by moving in and paying most of the mortgage. Well, long story short he kinda lost it for a little bit. He quit his job as a truck driver and then blew his life savings on unnecessary things. Couldn't find a job and then went back to his home State. Left us high and dry. The trailer park was the first place I found that would let us keep our pitbull mix. That's how we ended up here. It's cheap and usually quiet so we'll probably be here a couple more years until I have surgery and we can put a down payment on a house.

Anyways, the point I was going to make before I started rambling is this, if I can live in the center of redneck nation and not have any problems you should be able to live where you do without any. I'm the type where I don't bother anybody and I expect them to not bother me. You don't owe anybody an explanation for anything. If someone walked up to me and asked something like that guy asked you I'd probably just say, "I'm doing my thing" and keep walking. Don't let them see that it bothers you.

Quote from: Simon on May 26, 2013, 06:28:32 PM
I'm the type where I don't bother anybody and I expect them to not bother me. You don't owe anybody an explanation for anything. If someone walked up to me and asked something like that guy asked you I'd probably just say, "I'm doing my thing" and keep walking. Don't let them see that it bothers you.

I feel the same way you do Simon. I don't bother anyone I expect the same in return. I also feel that I don't owe anyone an explaination. I wish people would just mind their own damned business. However, the reality is that some people are nosy. Then again maybe I'm just paranoid; perhaps everything will work out much better than I'm expecting. So far it has. As for how to react to people's questions I don't feel like explaining it yet I don't know how else to respond to them without seeming abrasive. I'm a rather passive aggressive person; confrontation makes me very uncomfortable. I think I'd feel like an jerk if I gave someone the cold shoulder so to speak. ~hope

Edited for profanity

Quote from: desperate believer on May 26, 2013, 05:28:31 PM
Jared, I'm glad your roommates' family is understanding    It's funny how some people seem to notice even the slightest change(s) while others are oblivious. Was your neighbor being a jerk or teasing you? ~hope

No, not really. I get on well with most of them they were just surprised I guess. If you're nice to people in general they seem to be more acceptive IMO even when they don't understand you.

Jared, that's why I don't want to give my neighbors a hard time even if I am annoyed by their questions/comments. I figure if I'm a jerk or snippy with them then they'll have reason to be rude and disrespectful right back to me. While I don't care what most people think of me at the same time I don't want to make enemies with people I have to live near. ~hope