Stepping WAAAAAAY out of my comfort zone today....

[KristinSkye]

To start my comfort zone right now is pretty much maxed out at about spending maybe 10-20 seconds fully dressed in my own back yard...

I made a commitment to myself earlier this week to finally get out of the house and try to enjoy myself. To be honest I'm pretty nervous, but I'm not backing out now; it took way too damn long to get ready lol. Anyway I'll be leaving in about an hour or so so if anybody has any tips on the way I'm dressed or just some last minute advice before I 'walk the plank' please tell me :straightface:

WELL I'M BACK AND IT WENT GREAT, I've never felt so feminine and confident before in my life!!!

Anyway nothing about this story terribly interesting and I'm also very chatty right now so I'll try and keep the details to a minimum lol. For the most interesting parts, including where I got outed, skip to the bottom ;)

So this morning I got up early as planned to get ready. This was the first time I've went all out. I:


painted my toe nails and finger nails (for the first time I might add)
planned my outfit (had to borrow a top from my wife, I hope she doesn't mind :doh:)
did my makeup (once again I went out of my comfort zone and tried color for the first time)
loaded up the handbag my wife was nice enough to lend me
swapped out my tongue ring with a girly pink sparkly one
and spritzed on some Britney Spears perfume from a tiny sample I found under the sink.


I then promptly posted this thread and took a nap; last night had me tossing and turning like today was Christmas Day, I was tired!



After the nap I headed out. My first stop was a gas station to fuel up for the trip. As I pulled in the 3-4 other people gassing up immediately looked my direction (they were looking at my Jeep most likely, happens a lot lol). As I was fueling this older balding man who had ridden a bike there just stared at me...Like you guys said to do, I kept my head and confidence up and didn't concern myself with his presence.

Next stop was this mall I hadn't been to before (to minimize the chance of being seen by someone I know). I got there an HOLY COW, I knew it was tax free weekend in FL but I had no idea how crowded it would be. I drove around and picked chose the store with the least crowded parking lot - Belk (it was still packed). I fixed my lips and hair and headed inside.

I immediately had to use the restroom..the first hurdle I wasn't looking forward to, especially once I saw how crowded the store was. Again on the advice of our community here I turned on the confidence and made it clear I was supposed to be there. After this first time using the Ladies room the other times were a snap.

I didn't spend a whole lot of time in the Belk just because their Juniors section had either been cleared out of the good stuff or just didn't have anything good. I left and decided to try another store at the Mall, but all the other ones looked so packed I didn't bother.


I just realized that I'm not at all living up to my promise to keep things short and sweet, I apologize..


Anyway feeling a little defeated I hopped back in the Jeep and left. I didn't want that to be the end of my day so I looked for a Kohls on my iPhone. There was one up the road so I went to check it out; unfortunately it was the most crowded store I had seen yet.

Back in the Jeep I decided to say screw it and just go to the mall near me hoping the crowds weren't as bad. Sure enough Sears was pretty much empty by comparison. I spent about an hour perusing the Juniors section, like Belk the selection wasn't very good :/

The only good part was half the stuff was clearance. I decided to try on a few pairs of jeans and denim short shorts. By this time I just walked into the ladies fitting room like I owned the place! Unfortunately none of the jeans cam in 7L and were all too short :( The shorts were cute, but I couldn't justify waiting in the long line just to purchase one item.

After that I packed up and went home with the biggest smile I've had on my face in a long time. :D




Now the quick list of the the more interesting parts:


Throughout my adventure I noticed a few things. A lot of women will make eye contact with you and smile. I can't even remember how many times this happened.
It surprised me that the younger GG's (children included) didn't make me nervous at all. Just a few days ago I said that this group would make me the most uncomfortable yet I was literally several feet away from these people and they didn't pay me any mind.
The people that did make me feel uncomfortable were the male counterparts of the other female shoppers that were just sitting/standing around while their SO's shopped. On several occasions I noticed a handful of them eying me up like they were on to me.
I had a little run in with the water fountain. I was pretty thirsty and in my haste I dangled the majority of my hair in the basin of the fountain as I was using it. I don't think anyone was watching but it was pretty embarrassing lol.
Yes, I was outed! It was the kind of situation where a comment is made within earshot and not directly to my face. I was taking a look at some piece of clothing when I hear this black male in his mid to late 20s say to his SO "Man...that dude look like a female!" to which his So replied "Mmm-hmm". I just smiled :)







Whew....sorry for the long post, I know I made everything out to be a lot more exciting than it really was. Anyway I am kinda bummed I didn't get any new outfits. I'm thinking about going out again tomorrow to Sears and picking up a handbag of my own!

And now cruddy cell phone pictures:

[Nancy (PA)]

How far out, and how long? You look great; hope it goes well.

[ShirleyO]

Hi Hon,
We have all been thru the jitters, can you find a girl friend to go with you? Maybe just go drive around for a while for the first time out. All I can say is that it gets way easier and just have fun. Take time to enjoy the moment. Oh and you look great!

[TxKimberly]

I agree with the others. You look terrific - go have fun and dont forget to wear your smile!

[KristinSkye]

Thanks for the reassurance gals; definitely helps ease my anxiety.

I was planning on heading to a mall I've never been too that's about an hour away from my house. Once there I was gonna scope out the department stores and try some shopping in the least busy one. I picked a hell of a weekend for this though, its sales tax free weekend in FL right now so everythings probably going to be packed. Anyway I'm planning on a three hour trip, but we'll see.

Oh, and unfortunately the only one I know that I could have gone with is my wife and she's working so it looks like I'm going solo!

[kaitlin]

Girl you look just too CUTE!! Get out and enjoy! If I was any where close to being that passable I'd never be seen in drab again!:D

[Sara Jessica]

You look wonderful, I hope you have so much fun.

And while it may be easier said than done, be relaxed and present yourself as if you belong, as if you own the place. Don't spend time and effort looking over your shoulder, simply be confident in the fact you are a beautiful woman who is just going about her business.

[AllisonR]

Kristin, all I can say is: "Hot Stuff"! Don't worry at all about "how" you look, ok? From these two pictures, no one is going to be doing any double takes. Well, unless they're checking out the beautiful girl that you are walking by! Even if the stores are packed, you should do fine. Just stand tall, SMILE, be confident about being the woman that you are, shop & try on things and enjoy being a lady. Good luck, Kristin!

Love & Hugs,
Allison
"I may never be the girl of my dreams...but never-the-less, I am Woman!"

To start my comfort zone right now is pretty much maxed out at about spending maybe 10-20 seconds fully dressed in my own back yard...

I made a commitment to myself earlier this week to finally get out of the house and try to enjoy myself. To be honest I'm pretty nervous, but I'm not backing out now; it took way too damn long to get ready lol. Anyway I'll be leaving in about an hour or so so if anybody has any tips on the way I'm dressed or just some last minute advice before I 'walk the plank' please tell me :straightface:

[Annie D]

What a great smile! Carry that with you when you go out and not only will you be accepted by everyone you pass but you will have alot of fun. You look terrific; so good that I would give you a second or third look to check you out! Have confidence and enjoy yourself.

[Michelle Charles]

You look really cute, and you're dressed perfect for the mal. Just don't listen to your heart thumping, just get out of the car and go girl! Uh, don't forget the keys! :)

[kimdl93]

Hope you had a good time! I am much older, been dressing much longer, and have my wife's support and participation, and yet I still feel timid about going out fully en femme.

[renee k]

Kristen, You look just fine, the tough part is walking out the door! Now get out there and enjoy yourself.

Renee

[KristinSkye]

Thanks again everyone, I just got up from a much needed nap, my stress headache is gone and I'm feeling good! Time to do this!

[AKAMichelle]

Quit talking about it and just do it. :D

Now we want details. It is so much fun to be out and about and very addictive.

[bianca66]

Better get going or the mall will be closed by the time you get there :doh:

You look good Sugar nothing to worry about (other than some guy trying to pick you up) :heehee:

[jessica renee]

I have to agree with everybody else and say you look incredible! Don't forget to let everybody know how much fun you had!

[joanna marie]

Gosh you look cute,Go for it

[Cindi]

Kristen:

Just go. you won't be sorry, and it does get easier.

I went grocery shopping for my first outing and have never looked back.

You are beautful and should have no worries.

Go for it girl.

Cindi

[StacyCD]

I wish I looked as good as you do. Go for it. Wear a smile. Remember to breath. And have fun!!

[Inna]

You look awesome girl, I know I have missed you but when you get back I will be back here to get the scoop on the outing, I am in Orlando so not that far away from you, and it is a scorcher of a day, stay cool babe.

[Phyliss Hdson]

Hey Kristen,
From your pics I would say go and have fun/ Hope you did. I was recently in Jacksonville and had the opprotunity to get out a couple of times and had no problems. As well as you present in your pics you should have no problems going anywhere you choose. Head up and be confident, attitude is about ninty percent, people want to believe what they see or at least what they think they see.
Phyliss

[Deelite]

You look just right honey, you will blend in with no problems!

We have to push ourselves sometimes, but the reward is very, very nice!

I went out shopping enfemme yesterday for the first time ever, i have some pics/story in the photo section if you want to read about my trip.

Suffice to say it was the most memorable thing ever! Go do it honey you will love it!

Hugs, Dee.

[CallMeMeg]

I know you're out already and having a great time ~ tell us how it went when you get back.

[KristinSkye]

I'm back!!! The only thing I can think to myself is why did I wait 6 years to do this....

Putting together a thread to share with everyone right now. Thank you all again so much for the support, I couldn't have done it without you all :hugs::hugs::hugs:




For now:


I was recently in Jacksonville and had the opprotunity to get out a couple of times and had no problems.

The fact that I was going out into Jax was one of my bigger concerns. When I think Jacksonville (at least the parts I see daily) I think "good 'ol country folk" and "gangstas", not the most friendly crowd for any LGBT lol.

Lucky for me there wasn't a whole lot of that crowd where I went :)




I went out shopping enfemme yesterday for the first time ever, i have some pics/story in the photo section if you want to read about my trip.


Already did :P Your thread was one of 2-3 similar ones that I read this week that really inspired me to make the plunge :)

[Audrey34]

You look great Kristin! I hope you had a lot of fun!
-Audrey

[KristinSkye]

Definitely did! Added the details to my first post rather than creating a new thread.

[Sara Jessica]

Yeaaaa, what a fun read. It really does look like you had fun and I hope all of us standing on your shoulders whispering things in your ears didn't weigh you down too much ;)!!!

As for those cruddy cell phone pictures, all I can say is wow. You have so much going in your favor, tipping the scale not only towards "woman" but genuine beauty. To heck with being read by someone, it's just something that happens. Big deal, don't let it even begin to ruin the memories of your first outing.

[Christina Horton]

You look great and I think very FEM. I don't think you should have many people reading you just as long as you stay in fem-mode. BUT...
If you want a long and good read you should read mine. LOL a little self promoting of me there :heehee: :heehee: . My outing was all alone like you but with a twist.....You want to know , well read mine. http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91079

We all have comfort zones but once we Brake them we are free to find and smash the other ones. I did a ton of stuff the first tow days in a row out and have been called a liar by one or two girls here. Its all true and like you it was fun and that is the point.

Your first time out will never happen again....but think of it this way and don't get depressed. You will have many first. Like my other big one, Going to my 20th high school reunion as Christina. And since that thread is closed tell me what you thought of it here.

I love to do the FIRSTS cuz it reminds me of my first time out.

SO whats your next FIRST going to be?????

[renee k]

The smile / expression on your face in the last photo, says it all. YES I'VE DONE IT!!!

Renee

[Teri Jean]

Girl are you shure they were talking about you? I see a wonderful young girl that would turn my head also. Married? Hummmmpf, to bad.

[KristinSkye]

My outing was all alone like you but with a twist.....You want to know , well read mine. http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91079



Holy cow! You certainly went the extra mile with your first trip out. The movies part was funny, I was thinking about a movie but decided against it. Could definitely see myself doing the same thing lol.


The smile / expression on your face in the last photo, says it all. YES I'VE DONE IT!!!
Renee

hehe you're right...I'm starting to like that picture.


Girl are you shure they were talking about you? I see a wonderful young girl that would turn my head also. Married? Hummmmpf, to bad.

Aww thanks Teri :hugs:. Unfortunately I'm pretty sure he was talking about me, I didn't see any other MtF CD'er around when he said it haha.

[Fab Karen]

Congratulations- you're no longer a "virgin" :)
The guys eyeing you were trying to picture you naked- possibly even some that knew you're a t-girl.
Crowds of people can seem scary at first, but when you mentally grit your teeth & walk through, you come to realize it's the safest place you can be.

[Inna]

Yeah baby, congrats, it is exhilarating to finally be able to breathe fresh air and have the sun shine on her face and get your hair wet in the water fountain:heehee:. You did it!

[patti1569]

You look great in your pics! If I looked half as good I'd be going out everyday LOL! Thx for telling your story. I hope to get up that courage one day.

[txrobinm]

Girl, you are C-U-T-E! Your first time out was long and involved a whole lot of interaction- congrats on getting out there!

Yes, very very VERY few of us truly pass as women (the ones that have 'fooled' me have been on HRT for ~20 years), but we'll ALWAYS pass as trans! (I'm using that term loosely to cover all t-folk) You did great!

[Glenda58]

Hon you look cute and so young you should not have any problems going out and the more you do the better you get at it. Yes you may get outed once in awhile but who cares you may never see those people again. So have fun I wish I had done this 40 yrs ago.

[jessica renee]

Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I wish my first time out had been half as fun as yours. For instance I have never had the courage to visit a mall while dressed. Good luck to you on all your future adventures, because once you go outside, you can't wait to do it again. At least that's how it is for me.

[TxKimberly]

YAY! Good for you!

[KristinSkye]

Thanks for all the congratses ;) Back in drab now and I kinda feel like I used to as a kid once Christmas was over lol. On the other hand now I'm even more excited for the next time I have a chance to go ut.

[Faith_G]

The people that did make me feel uncomfortable were the male counterparts of the other female shoppers that were just sitting/standing around while their SO's shopped. On several occasions I noticed a handful of them eying me up like they were on to me.Um, that's called "checking out the hot chick." ;)

You should feel confident, you look great! :hugs:

[BiancaEstrella]

Yay Kristin! Congratulations!

I have a three-day weekend coming up... I just may skip town and have an outing for myself.

[jazmine]

Way to go Kristin!!!! It sounds as though you had a great, fun-filled day. I even had fun reading your story.

[PretzelGirl]

I just realized that I'm not at all living up to my promise to keep things short and sweet, I apologize..

Out and about posts do not have problems with length. Some of the best ones are fairly long. So keep them coming!

And I really like your look for going out in crowds. You look wonderful and I am sure you were just another shopper saving on taxes.

[rocketscientist]

So happy you had a good time out. Good to see another Jeep girl here too. I pm'd you too. Hugs, Tonya:battingeyelashes:

[ladyinblack]

whow girl you look so good have fun

[Midnight Skye]

Two WOOTs for your first outing... sorry I'm a geek. I'm glad to hear everything went well! It feels sooo great going out those first couple times. Don't fret getting outed... I get outed most of the time when I'm out... It doesn't help being tall and skinny as guys look extra hard. And like you said when your confidence is up and you're dressing nicely gals really do make lots of eye contact.

And shouldn't you be looking for stuff in the miss's section =) Though now that you mention it... I imagine juniors bottoms would fit better, being made for young girls with slimmer hips.

OH... aside from your fun story, your pictures came out fantastic. You look great and I imagine you blended in really well. I'm really surprised anyone spotted you, as you look all girl.

[KristinSkye]

Your w00ts and comments were well received, thanks :P

Anyway you're right in that the juniors stuff seems to fit me better (I'm kinda tiny - size 6-7) and I like the younger looking styles I guess.



As far as getting outed I think the reason why it didn't phase me at all when it happened was the tone of voice the guy said it in as he passed me. It was more like he saw me at first and thought "Wow...that girl is hot!" Then once he figured me out the comment to his SO was kind of like "Can you believe that?" like I had almost fooled him. Honestly it kind of flattered me as silly as it sounds.

[Amber Night]

JELOUS!!!!!!!!!!! :o So wish I could have gone with you for my first time. Still working up to it.

[KristinSkye]

JELOUS!!!!!!!!!!! :o So wish I could have gone with you for my first time. Still working up to it.

You'll get there Amber :hugs: The funny part is that I was truly making a mountain out of a molehill. I would get myself so worked up about all the stuff that could go wrong that I never even stopped to consider there was a chance everything would go smoothly.

[cem_md]

You look amazing. Don't hesitate to do this again as it is a shame to conceal this beauty from the world's eyes. :)

[AllisonR]

Uh, 7's? You wear size 7? Oh my mistake. Now that I re-read this, you said 7L now that makes all the difference in the world! I was going to get on your case since I wear 8 or 10's. Ha!! Ok, Kristin, you got it made now! Get out there, look good and be a woman!


WELL I'M BACK AND IT WENT GREAT, I've never felt so feminine and confident before in my life!!!
Unfortunately none of the jeans cam in 7L and were all too short :(

[Spacey]

Way to go Kristin!

[erika130]

Hey kristen so happy to hear that your first time out went so well! By the way there are some pics here not in your other thread.. You look so adorable and natural! those pics of you in the car you look just like any other cute gg going about her day.. and same with the one at the store.. very pretty girl.. I don't see how anyone could've found out.. interesting to know women make eye contact and smile

[kimdl93]

Gotta say, you looked great. I wouldn't have taken you for anything but a young GG. That one comment was even affirming in my book - dude looks like a lady - that's exactly the point!

[JeanDoe]

Amazing story and not boring at all. I whish I had your courage !:o

[neworleanssusan]

LOL... you're in Jacksonville. Go to Key West and see the lack of reaction you'll get in public. LOL.

[Debra Russell]

Nice going Kristan, Your frist outing sounded great; did you find that you took pictures of yourself any chanch you got?. My first time and any time I go out I find I take a lot of pictures while I am out - makes it more fun to remember, even have strangers offer to do it for me!... its fun. Also I find that the bigger and more crowded places are, the less attention you get of any kind. Oh and did I mention you look amazing! ......Huggs Debbie

[KristinSkye]

LOL... you're in Jacksonville. Go to Key West and see the lack of reaction you'll get in public. LOL.

Haha, that definitely coincides with the stories from my friend that visits the place regularly about all the "crossdressers and drag queens" she sees (she's definitely not from there lol).


did you find that you took pictures of yourself any chanch you got?. My first time and any time I go out I find I take a lot of pictures while I am out - makes it more fun to remember..Oh and did I mention you look amazing! ......Huggs Debbie

Thanks Debbie :) And no, unfortunately I was a bit overwhelmed so I didn't take but a couple pictures (as opposed to the hundreds I take when I normally dress ;P).





I actually went out again the following weekend. Spent over 4 hours out this time (and 4 stores). By the time I had to go home I was making excuses to find other places to go to lol. Didn't get outed this time ;)