Hello everyone. My name is John. I hope to someday be Ashley though. wow that was harder then I thought it would be...  I am just starting my journey. I have always felt more comfortable around the female gender, as an adult I dress up when ever I think I can get away with it. That usually ends up being Halloween. In the online community I have been chatting as a girl for years now and had always given myself excuses for why I do it. Recently a friend of mine suggested that I should research this. So after a couple days of research and devoting all of my considerble spare time to reading every web page I could find on the subject, here I am. I don't know for sure if I belong here but I'm here all the same.

Hi Ashley!  Welcome to the forum!

Thank you Amy.

Ashley is a very special name to me. I could almost make it my name, except it always has a tinge of sadness to it. In the classroom, she was behind me and to my left until she disappeared. Months later the teacher told us she was in another state having been taken by a family member, and we never saw her again.

I've done the online thing for years too. Gradually it became ever harder for others to see through. In 2009 I joined a girls only board on a now defunct site. Nobody ever suspected me.

Quote from: Alicia on November 03, 2011, 03:06:58 PM
Ashley is a very special name to me. I could almost make it my name, except it always has a tinge of sadness to it. In the classroom, she was behind me and to my left until she disappeared. Months later the teacher told us she was in another state having been taken by a family member, and we never saw her again.

I'm very sorry to hear that. Being a step parent as well as a child from a split family I could never do that to my step daughter and frankly don't understand how a parent or guardian in any sense of the word could think that that is the right thing to do.

Quote from: Alicia on November 03, 2011, 03:06:58 PM
I've done the online thing for years too. Gradually it became ever harder for others to see through. In 2009 I joined a girls only board on a now defunct site. Nobody ever suspected me.

I have had the same experience I have done it now for a number of years and people still question me on the rare occasion that I explain it to them.

On a side note I came out to my gf last night. It ... went better then expected. Shes the only person who knows me that knows and is doing her best to be supportive though sometimes it seems I'm supporting her more. I am thinking about doing a weekend at home dressed as a woman.. Strictly at home anyways.. So wish me luck

Hi Ashley, welcome to Susans! It's always nice meeting new friends. Poke around the site, there's always something going on. See you, hugs, Tracey

Hi, Ashly,

For some of us the discovery and blooming is a convoluted and some times slow journey, but all of us share the road to affirmation and acceptance. Accepting yourself is but the beginning. You will findmany good guys and gals in this forum.

Best wishes for happy postings,

Jen61

Thank you all so much for the support and warm welcome.

I have a question... Where is a good place to beable to post (discussion or not) about acceptance and comming to terms? I was looking into getting a blog but seen that you have to have 50 posts first. Thanks in advance. -Ashley

Hi, and welcome to Susans! We have people come to visit us from all over the world, expressing different points of view, and you are likely to find someone to help you along your way Here are some important links and things to ponder as you begin your journey here.

• Site Terms of Service and rules to live by
  
• Standard Terms and Definitions
  
• Post Ranks ( including when you can upload an avatar/post links and photos)
  
• Age and the Forum
  
• Reputation rules
  

Quote from: John1984 on November 04, 2011, 02:46:55 PM
I have a question... Where is a good place to beable to post (discussion or not) about acceptance and comming to terms? I was looking into getting a blog but seen that you have to have 50 posts first. Thanks in advance. -Ashley

Coming out, RLE, in the transition section: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/board,339.0.html

Hi Ashley  welcome.

Thanks MarinaM but i ended up getting a live journal.. It has been very helpfull. As for my transition I have started being a girl when ever possable (preety much just weekends because of my job) and am looking to go full time. I have come out to my family and all my (very few) friends and all but 1 family member has been completly supportive. and even the 1 family member is mostly supportive. As soon as im allowed to post a profile picture I will.