I think I want to try out a new name with my peers, but I'm not sure how to go about it since I don't know if I'll end up committing to it. Everyone is trying to be as supportive as possible and I don't want to make things difficult and confusing for them. The name I have right now is gender neutral, so I wouldn't mind going by either of them. I don't know. It's really weird and confusing. I guess I'm just trying to experiment to see what feels right and I just don't know how to go about it.

**EDIT FOR CLARITY** The name I am known by everyone as is Jin Jin. The new name I want to experiment with is Kaius. I think I'd be fine being referred to as either of them.

I've been having the same awkwardness going about integrating my new name too. Mine shortens to something gender-neutral, and even though I went through a good bit of reflection coming up with it, there's still that nervous feeling like I could have made a better choice.

But hey, if it's something people around you are open to talking about, then I think it'd be good to introduce it as tentative. People are really very empathetic if you introduce your though processes along with your ideas.

I got used to my chosen name by using the gender-neutral form at work, and by applying it to video game avatars and online usernames (and doodling it on my homework). By the point I wanted to introduce it to others as a transitioning name, I already responded to it. I knew it referred to me. It'd feel weird not to keep it, at this point. I think it's something you kind of have to break in.

I go by my chosen name online and my birth name in person almost all the time. I've had a couple friends ask if I want to go by Maia face to face but I'm afraid the whiplash will get to me and make me miserable if it draws too much attention to places I'm safe and places I'm not. I had another trans woman call me by my chosen name for the first time last month and it took me a second to register but was super affirming =)  I pretend I'm "incognito" online to avoid people from work finding out about my political and religious views (which by themselves make like very hard where I live, forget about being trans) but really it's just me.