Just over a year ago, I was on mushrooms and essentially cracked my egg with my partner, but because I was hiding my alcohol problem, I felt wracked with guilt and shame and didn’t end up planning active transition until a month after I stopped drinking.

All of this is to say, been down that path. I got lucky, my partner was dabbling in gender before me and is more supportive of me and confident in the process than I am to myself. The scariest part is the world and my family. My parents are struggling with the image of their son, but they’ll get over it if they love me. I need to get a thicker skin and an ability to stare back at people who stare at me. We become more visible being ourselves and need to prep for strong responses from close people in our lives. But the small steps can have upsides besides confusing your loved ones lol.

so far I have felt an excitement for the future that was a total non-starter when I was still drinking. A few of my female coworkers have definitely noticed and have commented on my hair/nail colors, and it feels incredible, even though I haven’t started hrt. I’m sure negative experiences will come, but leaving alcohol behind and putting effort into transitioning have been the two best decisions I’ve made this year. Love and support, hope you can find the right path.