First Travel Adventure Since Going Full Time - NYC Are -> FL -> TN and Back

[Guest sydney]

This is from my personal journal I'm keeping that I thought I would share:

Journal for April 6, 2014

I still can't believe how fast things have been progressing with my transitioning. I've only started full time about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I'm typing this in the car on the way back from our successful business/personal trip. This was also the first time I've left the NYC area since I started transitioning.

My wife and at the last minute found out we could go to a trade show to exhibit our software for our company. I needed some business tops and purchased some items at Lane Bryant where the staff was super friendly. We got everything ready last minute and headed down to Orlando with only feminine clothing packed.

We drove down due to having to bring computers and monitors with us and we wanted to visit my parents who live about 3 1/2 hours south of Orlando. On the NJ Turnpike we stopped at a rest area and this was the first time I had used the women's room that was crowded. My wife and I walked in together, no one bated eye and I blended right in despite being 6'7".

During the entire trip down, I had no issue passing and the only looks I would get were, wow, tall woman looks. We spend the night in VA and the hotel staff didn't bat eye and first gave us a room with double beds (assuming we were just 2 women traveling together.) As the trip continued, I felt more comfortable using the women's room and all has been going well.

At the conference I had no issues at all even with golf playing republicans that were among the attendees. My wife and I didn't let anyone know we were a couple (we have different last names) to prevent any issues. The only exception was one of our customers was there at the conference and of course the hotel staff knew we were a couple, but no issues since it was at a Marriott hotel and they have great LGBT corporate policies.

Both my wife and I were getting hit on and offered drinks by other male attendees, but we took it as a compliment and just let it be. The show went great and we did get some great contact and got our company name out there. Unfortunately on the last day I lost my voice due to a cold and talking so much. (My wife lost hers today.) When people came up to the booth I whispered that I had lost my voice and was jokingly told that my husband will probably like that. Again I just let it go, but it did re-a firm that I was passing extremely well.

On the last night we were there, my wife and I decided to take advantage of the pool and hot tub there. Now was the ultimate test to see if I could pass in one piece swimsuit (Speedo Conservative Ultraback). With some tucking and a homemade gaff, I successfully passed. It was at night so that gave me some security. Only one time did I get sir'd and that was when I walked up behind a hotel staff member to put a glass on a tray and he only saw me out of the corner of his eye and said: "SIr you can lay it down on the tray and I'll take care of it." (Remember I'm 6'7".) He turned and looked at me and apologized and corrected himself calling me ma'am. I do believe that it was my height from the corner of his eye that he just assumed male without looking at me. (This happened 4 days later at a fast food restaurant in GA when a women didn't look up until after she said, "May I take you order sir" and then she to apologized and corrected herself and gendered me female the rest of the order process.)

After we finished the conference we drove 3 1/2 hours south to Palm Beach County, FL to visit my mother and step father who had not seen me in person since December when I just started to transition. My mother was happy to see me and was delightfully surprised at how well I've come along so fast. On the 2nd day at my parents we decided to go to the beach. I was really nervous with it being middle afternoon and wearing a once piece. I modeled it to my mother and she said she couldn't tell (and she's a harsh critic.) Feeling confident we went to Del Ray beach (20 min away) and passed 100% without an issue. As we were rinsing the sand off, a couple of guys asked where us girls were from. Again re-affirming how well I was passing.

At this point I just can believe how well I'm passing. Yes I do get looks, but it's because I'm 6'7" and I get comments from other women who say they wish they had my height. My voice is passing, but to me it seems too low, but my wife says it OK. However my inflections on my voice are very feminine and my grandmother had a much deeper voice than I do. My wife tells me then when I try to make it too high, it looses power and doesn't seem natural. However on the phone I do still get gendered male sometimes, but I don't on those drive thru speaker as the burger places. (Trying to figure that one out.)

After our visit to my parents (and getting my voice back, but with a rough feminine voice) we wanted to go and visit my wife's parents in TN. It just so happens that we would drive within 2 miles of my father's house in Forsythe, GA. However he hasn't been talking to me since I came out. Even though everyone else has given me great support, a part of me felt sad as we drove past the exit for his house in I-75. I did have one scare in TN just north of Chattanooga. Two hours from my wife's parents house, we stopped by a Love's truck stop and as I was coming out of the women's restroom a female county sheriff's officer started walking my way and my heart was about to jump out. She just smiled and said hello. I smiled back with a hello and she passed me by going into the women's room herself. I felt pretty good after that.

I was a little nervous seeing my wife's parents as they were not accepting at first of me and finding out their daughter is bisexual. They did come around and fully accepted us into their home with open arms. As long as my wife was happy, that's all they cared about. We spent 2 days there and our niece and nephew (who was home from college that weekend) visited and were totally accepted and couldn't believe how different I looked since October when we were last there. While there, my wife's mother needed a new phone since her old Motorola phone \would not hold a charge (even after replacing the battery) and she wanted to get an iPhone. We went to one of the malls in Knoxville to the Apple Store and get her a new iPhone, but since it was on my account (we share a family plan) I had to show my male ID to the Apple Store employee to verify I was the account holder and didn't have any issues. (I also knew Apple has a great LGBT corporate policy so I wasn't worried.)

We drove back to NJ without any issues with me passing 100% and made it home safely. (I just miss the warm FL and TN weather.) Writing this, I still can't believe how well and how fast this has occurred. I'm so pleased and happy that I wonder if it's a dream and I'm going to wake up or something. Now the only time I ever get mis-gendered is if it's someone who knew me as male before. Even then, that is less and less.

[Charlize]

What a wonderful trip. You have great support. It made me smile as i remembered my first trip out in a swimsuit. That still makes me a bit nervous but mostly now because of the pasty color of my legs. You are an example to some of the other tall girls here. Keep it up (not a pun). Thank you for sharing.

Hugs,

Charlize

[Cyndee]

Enjoy reading your real life stories from the road Syndey. Sounds like a very successful trip, I like the fact you moved past the "golf playing republicans", funny....

Thanks for sharing, and BTW tall is beautiful...

Cyndi -

[Guest Kaylee]

Hi Sydney,

I was so nice reading your post about your latest travels. It must be unbelievably gratifying to know everything was worth it, and you finally get to be the person you were always meant to be.

It really warms my heart

Cheers to a more entertaining, relaxing, and not working adventure next time though ha ha!

Huggs,

Kaylee

[Guest sydney]

Thank you everyone for the positive remarks. We hear so many bad experiences, I thought it would be nice to share some great positive ones

[Guest denise_w]

Wonderful story Sydney, simply marvelous!

My sincere congratulations to you and your wife on such a successful venture!

Denise

[Guest Lizzie McTrucker]

Well that is reassuring. I get called sir by people not paying attention or only noticing a tall figure near them. At least now I won't take it personally thinking it's only happening to me and noone else. (yes Liz, noone else ever gets called sir by accident, it's only you. lol my logic sometimes is silly)

Oh hey, I know which Love's truck stop that is!

[Guest sydney]

My wife and I went out to dinner with a lesbian friend the other night and she keeps her hair very short and she is about my age. She is very tomboyish and some may say a soft butch, but identifies strictly as a woman. She was getting sir and my wife and I getting miss and ladies. It didn't bother her at all she just let is go.