The world according to Sarah

[Sephirah]

Well poop it didn't work. Sorry I'll try again later

Kellie, go to https://postimages.org/ 🔗

You don't need an account with them. Just choose an image (or images) to upload to the site from your device. They will then give you a link to use to put between the IMG tags.

(You want the one that says "Direct Link" from the list of links they provide for you)

[Dawn Kellie]

Kellie, go to https://postimages.org/ 🔗

You don't need an account with them. Just choose an image (or images) to upload to the site from your device. They will then give you a link to use to put between the IMG tags.

(You want the one that says "Direct Link" from the list of links they provide for you)

Thank you

[Dawn Kellie]

[Dawn Kellie]

I was trying to use the button up top.

[Stottie Girl]

I was trying to use the button up top.

That looks like a painting of the deer! Good capture.

[Sephirah]

Utterly gorgeous!

[Stottie Girl]

I feel like I've been neglecting my blog of late. I don't have much to say as I haven't really done a lot. I  don't want it to just turn into some sort of travel blog!

I will say that I am feeling the pull of full transition more and more. I decided I was going to hold back as my dad is 81 and I don't think he will understand if I come out. I love him to bits and he has been the best dad anyone could have hoped for for the majority of my life, but his world view has become quite strongly right wing. I have heard him say disparaging throw away comments about trans issues before and I had to hold my tongue. Not easy with my big gob!

As I keep saying, I am an only child and never had any partners so we are a very small tight family unit and I'm so afraid that it might break us apart. But it is getting so so hard to keep going back into boymode. I'm concerned that I am running out of time too.

I think when I get into my new home and don't have paperthin walls between neighbours I will start voice training. For me that is a hurdle I need to clear before I could go full time and it probably buys me some time. To those who managed to obtain a semi or reasonably passable female voice roughly how long did it take you? Were you able to do it without voice surgery?

I will also see if my finances might allow me to start electolysis soon though I think my money is going to be tied up with renovating the new house. I don't earn very much money so I can't spend as much as I would want to on this stuff.

Anyhoo, just a bit of a download of my thoughts really.

[Charlotte Kitty ✅]

Hope that you can go full time sometime soon. I can't imagine how tough it is keeping all that caged, but I do understand your reasons.

Sounds like your new house will really help.

Charlotte 😻

[Stottie Girl]

Hope that you can go full time sometime soon. I can't imagine how tough it is keeping all that caged, but I do understand your reasons.

Sounds like your new house will really help.

Charlotte 😻

Thanks Charlotte.

Coming on Susans and seeing all you lovely ladies living my dream is enjoyable but tough but it helps me get a feel for what to expect at least.

[Lori Dee ✅]

To those who managed to obtain a semi or reasonably passable female voice roughly how long did it take you? Were you able to do it without voice surgery?

I will also see if my finances might allow me to start electolysis soon though I think my money is going to be tied up with renovating the new house. I don't earn very much money so I can't spend as much as I would want to on this stuff.

I would focus on the electrolysis first. It is a long process, but worth every penny spent. Voice coaching is available for free, and you can track your progress with free apps like Voice Tools.

I was able to get voice training for free from the VA, until a certain someone decided transgender veterans do not deserve any transition-related care. Fortunately, I have been seeing the voice therapist via video chat for six months, and only my last session was canceled.

I do not feel my voice is "passable" by any means. But I realized there are many women with deep voices, and people think that is sexy.

Kathleen Turner
Lauren Bacall
Emma Stone
Demi Moore
Suzanne Pleshette
Kirstie Alley
Grace Jones
P!nk
Janis Joplin
Kim Carnes

I figure we are in good company. Electrolysis will be the best investment, in my opinion.

[Stottie Girl]

I would focus on the electrolysis first. It is a long process, but worth every penny spent. Voice coaching is available for free, and you can track your progress with free apps like Voice Tools.

I was able to get voice training for free from the VA, until a certain someone decided transgender veterans do not deserve any transition-related care. Fortunately, I have been seeing the voice therapist via video chat for six months, and only my last session was canceled.

I do not feel my voice is "passable" by any means. But I realized there are many women with deep voices, and people think that is sexy.

Kathleen Turner
Lauren Bacall
Emma Stone
Demi Moore
Suzanne Pleshette
Kirstie Alley
Grace Jones
P!nk
Janis Joplin
Kim Carnes

I figure we are in good company. Electrolysis will be the best investment, in my opinion.

Well I can't really afford either at the moment. My thinking was that there seemed to plenty of free online resources to practise the voice whereas Electrolysis costs money that I may not have for a while.

Everyone says the same thing, I wish I started electrolysis earlier so I know you are probably right. I'm not sure if you can go do that sort of thing when in boymode either. They always seem to be in beauty salons and I'm not sure whether I would be welcome in that environment, particularly in the current climate. It's a litle on the scary side.

[Charlotte Kitty ✅]

Honestly there are loads of men go into beauty salons to get laser / electrolysis. I've seen a few come for appointments in places I've had treatments. It's really no big deal, and this is in Walsall - flag waving central!

[Stottie Girl]

Is £60 p/hour a reasonable rate for electrolysis? There might be a lady in my town of birth who might do transgender customers. How many sessions would you normally plan to have in a month?

[Charlotte Kitty ✅]

Is £60 p/hour a reasonable rate for electrolysis? There might be a lady in my town of birth who might do transgender customers. How many sessions would you normally plan to have in a month?

Thats pretty reasonable to be honest. For facial hair I don't know how frequent, as I use laser for my face.

Only done electrolysis down there. You do need to grow the hair about 3-5mm long though.

C😻

[Stottie Girl]

Thats pretty reasonable to be honest. For facial hair I don't know how frequent, as I use laser for my face.

Only done electrolysis down there. You do need to grow the hair about 3-5mm long though.

C😻

Another reason to do it while still in hybrid mode. I don't think laser would be worth it as I'm blonde haired and my facial hair starts light brown but goes ginger. I hear it is usually only effective with darker hair.

[KathyLauren]

To those who managed to obtain a semi or reasonably passable female voice roughly how long did it take you?

I did five hour-long lessons, enough to know that there was no way I could get my voice up into "typical female" range.  My voice is not passable on the phone - I get "sir-ed" a lot.  In person, no one seems to mind and I don't get misgendered, at least not out loud.

The lessons were valuable because I learned about voice inflection, which is a much better indicator of vocal gender than pitch is.

I'm not sure if you can go do that sort of thing when in boymode either.

I did.  For the first few months, before I was out full-time, I went in boy mode.  The electrologist didn't mind.  It's actually less conspicuous in boy mode, because you can't shave for three days prior to a session.  A bit of stubble fits better in boy mode than in girl mode, believe me.

What I did about the stubble in girl mode was helped by using liberal amounts of topical anesthetic.  (Brand name: Emla.  It is a blend of lidocaine and prilocaine, and is a restricted over-the-counter medication.)  It works best if you cover it with gauze and plastic wrap, so I arrived for the electrolysis sessions with bandages on my face.  Not inconspicuous, but more stealthy than a stubbly face.

How many sessions would you normally plan to have in a month?

I had one one-hour session per week for three years.  Then, after a nine-month break for covid lockdowns, I resumed once a month for another couple of years.  The job wasn't quite finished, but I had had enough.  I shave daily, though I could get away with skipping a day if I had to.

[Lori Dee ✅]

Mine tries to get me in for an hour every two or three weeks.
I tried one laser session, but with too much gray/white, it didn't work.

[Stottie Girl]

Thanks for all that Kathy, it helps a lot.

Once a week is roughly £240 a month. I don't think I have the funds right now unfortunately. I'm hoping to be made full time this year though so that might change the equation.

I understand getting the voice pitch higher will be tough without surgery but I have seen many examples of lower voices that are passable. I should be able to improve it from where I am now at least. I must admit I struggle with some of the concepts when it comes to voice training. I am not very musical and I've never really sang since my voice broke as I found that to be a bit traumatic so I stopped.

[Dawn Kellie]

I had the same singing voice. Though my dog chimes in when I try. Seems everyone is a critic.

[Lori Dee ✅]

I understand getting the voice pitch higher will be tough without surgery but I have seen many examples of lower voices that are passable. I should be able to improve it from where I am now at least. I must admit I struggle with some of the concepts when it comes to voice training.

The best lesson I learned is that it is not about pitch. If you just raise your pitch, you'll sound like a cartoon character. The key is not to speak from your throat and chest, but to speak from your mouth. I struggled with understanding what the therapist meant by that. She had me put a straw in a glass of water and talk while blowing bubbles through the straw.

It took some practice, but I finally realized the difference. After that, I could speak through my mouth instead of the sound coming from my throat and chest. Experiment with it.

If you can master that, raising your pitch just a little and speaking a little softer is a huge help. I got ma'am-ed today, so I must be doing something right.