Milestones

I should have posted this much sooner, and I'm not sure why I didn't, but I guess life just got in the way and it slipped my mind until now.  Alas, Wednesday July 21, 2021 was a very productive day in my transition journey. In addition to a great session with my therapist, Juliana, I also got my ears pierced… both of them!  Just like every (or at least most) little girl dreams about, myself included many, many years ago.  But, like everything else that felt good and right to me as I child, I tucked that little dream away, along with the doll I wanted for Christmas, the dresses I wanted to wear, the long hair I wanted to don, and so many more.  All those things would have to wait, in my case for almost 50 years. 

 
While I’ve outgrown the desire for a doll, and long hair is simply not possible, I’m making up for lost time with the dresses (and shoes!), and will soon be able to adorn my earlobes with beautiful earrings.  Real ones.  Not just the kind that clip on (of which I also have several pairs).  It’s a rite of passage, and I’m happy to report it didn’t hurt one bit, especially compared to laser hair removal on the face, which hurts like hell.
 
Another, arguably more significant accomplishment for the day was filing the petition to legally change my name and gender with the court.  Fortunately, in the state of California this is a fairly simple matter, requiring one set of paperwork and a quick trip to the courthouse.  For those looking for guidelines on this and all of the many other things that must be done in the process of transitioning, I strongly recommend the Transgender Map website.  
 
I’ve got it bookmarked myself and consult it frequently whenever I have a question or am unsure about something.  It’s been a godsend.  More than just a rite of passage, this was a milestone.  My petition will be reviewed and ruled on by a judge in a Long Beach branch of the Superior Court of California on the morning of September 10, 2021, and I cannot wait!