Things I've learned about myself in the last 4 years of transition:

1. I'm a girl. You'd think this would be something I'd have known before I started transitioning but it wasn't. I thought I wanted to be but that I am took a lot longer.

2. My favorite color is purple. 💜 I used to say by favorite colors were blue and black but that's mostly because I was afraid to embrace a "girly color".

3. I'm a fashion girl. Not only do I love buying and wearing pretty things but what I'm wearing has a big effect on how I feel about myself, how I feel in my body, and my confidence.

4. I love being a software engineer. I still check in on myself with this one pretty regularly because a lot of trans girls find out they actually hate it and bolt as soon as they can. But not me. I still love it.

5. I'm outgping. I'm still somewhat socially awkward thanks to autism and a lack of practice but I'm not actually that introverted. I love being around people and I love meeting and getting to know new people, as long as they're not assholes.

6. I'm actually a pretty cool person and people like me. I used to think my brains were the only thing people liked me for. Get good grades, get a good degree, get a good job, be impressive and then people will like you. But now? People just like me and think I'm cool without knowing anything about my grades or my work.

7. I love food and travel. I did some before but I never really embraced it. Now I love to cook and I actively look forward to every trip and every time I get to see a new city, hear a new language, and experience another culture.

8. I'm sappy as hell. 😂 Sci-fi and fantasy don't do much for me anymore. Give me a sappy romance or a good drama and I'll bawl my eyes out. I love a good coming of age story, too. Trauma and well-presented dysfunction are welcome as well. Anything which hits me in the feels. It doesn't even have to be good as long as it isn't terrible.

I could probably go on. This is just what came to mind today. If you showed me that list 10 years ago, I would have laughed at you.

Especially 3. I wore basically the same thing every day from middle school up until about 3 years ago. Now I'm worried I have a shopping addiction. 😂