Tennessee trip

[Lorelei]

My caving convention is in Tennessee this year and my wife thinks I should go as I always enjoy it. So I am going to register this week. I am still a little apprehensive about going to such a conservative state that seems unfriendly to transgender people. The trip I took in February has boosted my confidence in traveling in red states. Now that my identification documents show me as a female and I am passing pretty well I think I will be fine. Frequent shaving is very important as I still get a five o’clock shadow. My drivers license still has my old name and picture, but it does say I am a woman. I think I can get that resolved by the time I go. I used to sleep in my truck at rest areas, but I am no longer comfortable sleeping alone in them as I am now a woman. So if I get tired I’ll have to get a hotel room. Maybe I can nap at a rest area, but definitely not an overnight stay.  

 

The cavers I will be with are mostly very tolerant people so that is a relief. Showering concerns me since it is being held at a bible boarding school campus this year. Hopefully it has individual shower stalls, but if not I can wear a bathing suit. The dorms are already fully booked, so I’ll be camped in a tent on their property weather dependent (this is a designed camping area). If it is too hot or rainy I’ll get a hotel room again. That would also negate the shower concern. 
 

Tennessee has some of the best caves in the country, so I really do want to cave there as myself. Last time I went there was in October 2022, about 8 month's before my egg cracked. There is one cave in particular that I want to go to, Xanadu cave. I haven’t been to that one since 2007 and I loved it. As I now know from my Virginia/West Virginia trips in February, I know that I do not have the same endurance as I used to and to plan accordingly. I also would love to go to Valhalla pit and cave, but I don’t know if I have the endurance to climb out of the 224 foot rope climb. 

[Ashley0616]

I would definitely agree with you on updating the picture on the driver's license. Tennessee is a nice state as long as you don't go to Memphis good grief it's bad there. 

[KathyLauren]

For sure get your drivers' license updated.  Around here, it takes about two weeks from the time you get your photo taken until the new license arrives in the mail.