Personally, I posted here the first time I was leaving the house. It was nice to check in throughout the day to see the supportive messages.

I would also say that you should remember this quote I've often heard attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: "You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do."

Check hair and makeup, phone and stuff in my bag, knees together, of I go.

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My first times out (in the fall of 2015 can you believe it?) were wearing women's super skinny jeans under a loose male T shirt, going to fast food.  First a drive through, then a sit down.  Nothing bad happened.  I quickly went to wearing women's skinny and super skinny jeans all the time, and carrying a Coach man bag, and no one noticed.

I went to the mall shopping all the time with my wife, me wearing women's skinny jeans under a t shirt or sweat shirt, and no one noticed.  I always wore women's sneakers or slip ons also.

My first time in full dress head to foot was going to my first therapy appointment, and then after that, I always went to weekly support group in full dress.  Skinny jeans and cute blouses at first.  Sandals with nail polish on my toes, and carrying a female purse.  I am starting to add dresses and skirts in the mix now that my hair is growing out and I am mostly through facial hair removal.

My support group goes out to dinner each week after the meeting, and we go to restaurants where the management is known to be friendly and tolerant.  The workers who know us there always greet us with a smile, and they ask if we skip their place for a week and go to a different one.

My first few dinners out I was a bit nervous, but I got better and better at navigating the world in full dress without being self conscious.

Recently, after coming out to my dentist, I had to drive to another office half an hour away for a root canal.  I made the drive and the office visit in skinny jeans and a tight little women's scoop neck T shirt over a lightly padded bra with "the girls" clearly visible.  Nothing happened other than an older man in the waiting room kept sneaking looks at me.  I don't know whether he thought I was hot or didn't know how to gender me.

In the early days I carried a "punk out shirt," an oversize men's t shirt to hide in if anything happened -- but nothing ever did.  Now I don't bother.  But I do carry a men's long sleeve t shirt and work gloves in case I need to change a tire.  And if I wear heels, i carry a pair of slip on flats or womens sneakers just in case.  But after all, just about every girl does that.

Denise, you look really good.

When I first went outside I wore sunglasses. For me they really helped. Work was tough, I am in the public eye and had real apprehension. Just changing my ID the day I came out made me very self conscious. As the days passed so did the apprehension.

I've only recently went to a store down the road wearing a womens shirt with a large male button shirt to get a few things. The shirt wasn't terribly visible but I didn't sit there and think and mull over it. It was just a normal trip to the store.

Now if I was in a more feminine outfit, it may have been different. I don't want to dress *too feminine* and go somewhere in this town because that may not end well. What I do hope to do at some point is to dress up to an appointment with the therapist me and my gf are looking at getting setup with. Its a 2.5 hour drive one way so its not likely to trigger any locals.

I'd just do it. Why? Because I can and I will. I always repeat that when I  am nervous.

I never had a problem getting out of the car or the house,i've driven an 18 wheeler dressed before...the only thing you have to fear is fear itself.

Quote from: cheryl reeves on March 21, 2017, 11:42:32 PM
I never had a problem getting out of the car or the house,i've driven an 18 wheeler dressed before...the only thing you have to fear is fear itself.

I drive OTR too, and the last company I drove for I met an MTF that worked there. She said that she never had any issues (I overheard someone making a comment about her but I didn't know at the time she worked there and they were talking about her, on premises, not too quietly). I have talked with 2 other MTF women in my travels that also drive, and it helped ease my thoughts as I pondered if it would be problematic for myself. And yes, fear is our own worst enemy, no matter what we do as a person

Quote from: Scorpio2Scorpia on March 22, 2017, 10:56:28 AM

I drive OTR too, and the last company I drove for I met an MTF that worked there. She said that she never had any issues (I overheard someone making a comment about her but I didn't know at the time she worked there and they were talking about her, on premises, not too quietly). I have talked with 2 other MTF women in my travels that also drive, and it helped ease my thoughts as I pondered if it would be problematic for myself. And yes, fear is our own worst enemy, no matter what we do as a person

I only met one mtg while driving and she was being hassled at a truck stop,she was a otr driver and was working to pay for her operations and hormones,I jumped those other drivers asses over this and they tried to have a comeback but in the end they were shamed,they picked the wrong argument with the wrong driver and I buried them in that 15 min conversation. She followed me out and asked why did I defend her and I told her I was a crossdresser and we have rights to exist,besides she chose to drive truck instead of the Las Vegas sex trade.,like so many did back in the day or working the French Quarter in the New Orleans.

The fun time was coming back from a group meeting and got pulled over by a county deputy and he asked for drivers license and insurance,I handed him my drivers license and he freaked for he saw to women and one had a male drivers license, we sat there for 30 mins while he was talking dispatch Anne the other deputies about"You won't believe this",me and my wife was laughing about his reaction and what he was doing. Don't get me wrong I was nervous my first time out but I had my wife for support.

Quote from: cheryl reeves on March 23, 2017, 04:04:59 PM
The fun time was coming back from a group meeting and got pulled over by a county deputy and he asked for drivers license and insurance,

  Hi Cheryl,

   You aren't the only one that has been pulled over. I was out enfemme late one night in a strange city in the SF bay area when I made an uncertain lane change in sight of a city cop. Sure enough the lights came on. I showed him license and registration which he checked. when asked I told him I liked to crossdress and just out for a ride. Then he asked if I was really out looking to party.  I told him no and that was about it. He didn't even bat an eye. but then it was in the Bay area.

Hugs,
    Jeanette

Quote from: Vincent J on March 21, 2017, 10:45:11 PM
I'd just do it. Why? Because I can and I will. I always repeat that when I  am nervous.

Vincent and Cheryl, your comments hit a cord with me.

If I have trouble/nerves doing something, I do it again.

Fear.  That's the enemy.  Don't let it rule your life. 

Quote from: Denise on March 23, 2017, 06:22:18 PM
Vincent and Cheryl, your comments hit a cord with me.

If I have trouble/nerves doing something, I do it again.

Fear.  That's the enemy.  Don't let it rule your life.

Exactly. We can always beat fear by facing it instead of running away