My first FTM meeting

This past weekend I went to a support group for FTM (female to male) men. And it was great. It was my first time really being a part of a group of trans guys. I'm sorry that I waited so long to reach out for support. It was great just to be in the presence of other transmen. It made me feel a sense of community, belonging. The group had two parts. The first part was open to FTMs and their friends, family, partners, support, etc. And the second half we split up so that one group was just the FTMs and the other group was for everyone else. I benefitted from both. It was nice to see people have support at all. Some people had friends, even parents in attendance. And I was surprised that a lot of people also had romantic partners. I've heard so often that it is hard for transmen to find people to date and that was definitely not the case with the people I met.
I really liked when the group split up though and we could talk about issues that transmen face such as side effects of testosterone, finding doctors, dealing with people when you ask them to switch pronouns and use He instead of She. There were a lot of different perspectives on each issue and that was also helpful. Some people at the meeting recognized me from the articles I've written as well as my blog. So people do actually pay attention and read this thing which I'm glad to hear.
Overall I had a good time and made some new friends both trans and non trans.
Other than that, I am now a full-time adult with a full time job which means I'm tired, a lot. The doctor says I need to be sleeping more than 8 hours a night because my body needs it a lot more now that I'm going through puberty again. He explained to me that that was why I was probably tired a lot as a teenager as well. Our bodies need more sleep during puberty. No wonder. I'm also trying to meet my protein goal each day which isn't happening either. I'm supposed to eat 120 grams of protein a day and that's hard to do. When I do come close to hitting that, it's because I've had several protein shakes in a day. And drinking those gets boring very quickly.
The hair on my face seems to be growing thicker now, but I'm still struggling with my sideburns. They grow but they don't grow in fully the way I'd like them to. I'm hoping that starts to happen soon.
Two of my very best friends are coming to visit this week and next week and I'm excited and nervous to see them. They haven't seen me since I even started transitioning. So I'm sure there will be some shock to deal with there, nothing bad. But I want to see how they react and what they think once they do see me. They'll have honest and good input I think.
Valentine's day was this past weekend and that was also kind of rough. Another one of the holidays that I hadn't celebrated alone in over a decade. It was interesting. I partied with my friends and went out dancing and what not. I went to a gay club and ran into Perez Hilton and Janice Dickenson. That was interesting. So weird to go to a club and run into celebrities like that. I had an ok time. It was mostly a gay guy club with few women. I blended right in. I found myself checking some guys out but I'm still confused about my attraction to them. Sometimes I feel like I'm looking at them because I'd like to look like them and other times I'm not sure. That's still a work in progress. I'm still attracted to women, that hasn't changed at least.

Those are my major updates for now. Remember to send me any questions, comments, feedback. That stuff is always appreciated.

Thanks!

Life is good

I've just been working a lot these past couple of weeks. Things at my new job are interesting. Some people know I'm trans and some don't. Nobody treats me any differently though. They all refer to me as a "HE" and go about their business. It's great to be able to walk into a work setting and have people refer to me as male from the beginning. It's a very different experience compared to my last job where I had to tell people and correct them and put up with their bullshit.

Things in LA are good for the most part overall. I'm living with another transman which is nice. He and I are able to discuss our issues, feelings, physical side effects, etc. We are good support for one another. And we have been on t for almost the same amount of time.

Speaking of, soon it's going to be a year since I have been on T!! It's so crazy! So much of me has changed and yet so much has remained the same. I know there are definite physical changes but I kind of expected my body to change shape a little more. Maybe that comes in the second year of T though. Time will tell.

Recently, my dad's side of the family discovered my video blog and written blog. And that's interesting because I really don't have a relationship with my father so he doesn't even know that I'm transitioning. So that was interesting. I was happy to hear from his family that they are supportive and happy for me. I wonder what my dad's reaction will be when he hears through the grapevine.

Other than working and the stuff I've mentioned, not too much else is going on. I'm focused on making friends and supporting myself with positive people and that has been going well. California is full of such diversity and an appreciation for diversity and that is what I love about it. It's easy to find somewhere to fit in and I've found my place. :)

Hope everyone is well. Feel free to send along comments and questions as always.