I was 56 when I began HRT after 10 years of figuring out what I wanted to do. About 6 months in, I got a letter from my physician which I took to court a month later and received my new legal name and gender. I took these to the DMV and SSA that day and applied for my passport about two weeks later. Once I had my passport back, I met with my HR rep at work and planned a transition there, which took about two months to prepare for. I don't as yet have any plans for surgery, but it was just about a year for everything.
Once I had a plan, it went remarkably fast, but that's one of the reasons we live in California. The hardest part was starting, and two men influenced me greatly in that regard. My father passed away a year and a half ago, and I think it was the relief of not having to face him with my struggle that allowed me to choose to move forward. And then in November, the prospects of being able to make a transition under a Trump administration seemed to be threatened, so we decided to go as fast as we can. In retrospect, I guess I'm grateful for those stimuli.
Erin