Six Months Later
It's been six short months since I changed my name and reintroduced myself, although it feels a lot longer. Without any doubt it's been one of the best decisions of my life. Yes, some things have been hard and not always easy, but I feel so much more alive and present than I ever did.
It is quite strange how comfortable it all feels now that the dust has settled? Like, just considering my mental state alone, I feel far less anxious about everything all the time. Not to say that I walk around with a permanent grin on my face, but definitely I feel a lot more grounded and emotional. I can't tell if it's placebo or not, but colours seem brighter and more vibrant.
What cool and interesting stuff have I been up to? Honestly, the whole social transition thing is always a fiddly bit for trans people coming out. I took the lazy way and did all of it at once. The hardest bit by far (for me) has been finding and updating my email address for the million online accounts I have. Sorting out medical stuff is normally quite a painful affair for trans folks, with NHS waiting lists for gender clinics stretching into years. I'm lucky to work for one of the very few companies that pay for trans health insurance, which has already saved me a few thousand pounds. Wild. Won't go into a lot of detail but hormones are fantastic and make a huge difference to things, but don't change everything. I'm working with this very cool therapist to train my voice to that effect. It's very fun but also quite tiring at times, and is very much a long process.
It's helped so much having a wonderful partner and core support network. Izzy is the most wonderful human I could ever choose to love; over a year living together through the pandemic and we still enjoy each others' company so much. I've met some really fantastic and supportive people over the last year too, both at work and online. You all know who you are.
So, what'a next? Honestly, not loads. I'm at a very good point where I don't have to run around trying to book appointments or think about this kind of thing 24/7. I can kinda just exist being me, and it's really quite nice. I want to continue trying to experiment with making music, get into some social hobbies like climbing, and maybe even do some stuff with my voice now it's in a better place. I've even got over my needle anxiety!
Don't be a stranger, I love catching up with everyone and finding out what they're up to. And I'm always happy to answer questions folks may have. Have a good one. ✌
