Well, the site has been going for about 18 months now and I've had 90,000 hits. WOW is all I can say, I never even imagined anywhere near that many people would want to visit. Kind of a shock really.
I think the best thing about having a site has been the number of people I have chatted to via email and even sometimes in real life because of it. It has boosted my confidence and also helped me come to terms with my transgendered nature. Most of all it has enabled me to make some really good friends who I would never have got to know if it hadn't been for these pages. Hi to you all :)
I guess that another big plus point has been being able to give some other girls some words of encouragement who have written to me. Now I'm no agony aunt or counselor but hopefully just being a shoulder to cry on or an ear to bend has been a help to some.
So it is the end of 2003 and life is still a big adventure. I didn't manage all last years resolutions. They went something like this
Well, I did manage to go out twice(1,2) this year to Transmissions in London and all I can say is that it was such a rush, some of the best nights out with some wonderful people. Met some of my online frineds for the first time :) Only reason I didn't get out more was lack of money as staying in a hotel is a bit pricey.
The makeover never came about due to money... well the lack of it to be precise. With a limited budget you've got to work out whether you will spend £100+ on, a makeover or to get those shoes, dress, skirt and top, underwear and a new handbag. No real choice :)
Will I do it next year? Well, I am hoping to start laser in early part of next year so probably not as I think finances will be even tighter but you never can rule it out. What I really want to try is a professional photographer for some nice photos. Watch this space.
I think I did come to accept myself a lot more with a lot of help from some great friends, a girlfriend who loves me and also various Yahoo groups and all their members.
The UK Angels who never cease to amaze me with their insights, thoughtfulness and caring attitudes to all mixed with a wonderful sense of humour :)
Foxy Friends who are the greatest group of girls and friends around, who make me feel just so accepted :)
CDOD whose discussions and thoughts never cease to intrigue me and keep me hooked and always learning more about myself but also about so many other people and their circumstances.
To you all thankyou :)
Well... yes, I know a lot more people and I have also made some good friends both online and in the real world so I think I succeeded in this.
This year has been great. I'm not saying we're perfect, who is? We still have some problems to sort out but those tend to have nothing to do with my TG side, just normal relationship stuff.
She has come to accept the TG side of me. I think that her meeting others in the same situation (she went to a TX with me and met a lot of partners from the Angels Partners support group there) has helped a lot as well as meeting people at the Fox a few times. I'm not saying she thinks it's great or that she actively likes it (I wish!), I think she has come to accept it and that sometimes she sees that it has its benefits, that it makes me who I am. She doesn't understand why I like dressing and to tell the truth I don't think I do either, I simply accept that I do and in that acceptance comes a certain peace :)
One of the most important things I have found out is to keep talking. Not everyday, although at the begining it was like that. We talk about it when something comes up or we want to discuss something, in fact whenever. This year I think we have learned to communicate better in every aspect of our life... perhaps we didn't communicate all that well last year and that's why we argued too much..
I read a couple of book on gender which I found particularly insightful, not from the TG side(although they were good from there too) but just from masculine and feminine perspectives. It helped me examine myself but also understand my gf more.
The titles are there to make you look twice, they are well balanced and interesting arguments and even if you don't believe in evolutionary biology they still make you stop and think and most importantly discuss situations.
Well that's all for this year
Take care everyone and have a great 2004.
Becky Storm