I'm going through a time of uncertainty right now, and need to work out where I am 'at', so to speak. I'm now in my late 30s. Since I was a kid I've had the urge to wear women's clothes, shave all my body hair, wear makeup, secretly wear women's underwear/tights etc under my male clothes. This occurred at irregular intervals, sometimes with periods of a year in between. I didn't question it, I just did it because it felt natural to me and I felt 'normal' when I did it. It was never about sexual gratification or erotic fantasy. At no time did I consciously think to myself that I was a woman in a man's body, but there's always been an underlying dissatisfaction - much suppressed, and perhaps not even consciously acknowledged - at not having a female body.
However in recent times this dissatisfaction has grown in intensity, to the point where I'm having to ask myself serious questions as to who and what I am. I had a realisation that my innate feeling of not ever 'fitting in' in virtually every situation in my entire life was down to the fact that I was trying to play a male role in a male body. This was a major moment for me, and I'm still reeling from it. When I had that realisation it was like I'd finally been given the answer to a puzzle which had been gnawing at my subsconscious for most of my life.
But that realisation brought with it a new uncertainty. I'm wearing women's clothes pretty much 100% of the time at home now (apart from when my son stays over - I haven't told any family or friends about any of this yet), and am taking my first little steps into the outside world as Kerstin. It feels like I'm finally expressing my true inner self and I have an urge to tell everyone, but I've kept silent both out of fear and of confusion.
Is my story similar to anyone else's here? I would really really appreciate some feedback, especially from those who began their journey later in life, although all comments are welcome.