An amazing day in Nashville with a friend

[Miss Mandy]

A big shout out to AMY FAKLEY from the forum!!! This past Thursday, I had chance to do something I have never done in my 30 years of dressing: a girls day out with another one of us! I met Amy on the forum about a year ago but only met her for the first time this past week. In a last minute development, we decided to take a short road trip to Cool Springs Galleria Mall in Nashville.

After a comedy of errors on Thursday morning, I finally met up with her about 30 minutes later than expected. After breaking multiple nails, getting stuck by a train, and puttering along behind a slow logging truck, we got on the road together.

We arrived about an hour later and after sweeting bullets because of the heat and the nerves, we pulled up our big girl panties and marched in with heads high and shoulders back. After hours of shopping, coffee, and multiple purchases, we settled down and I think we truly began to enjoy ourselves. By this time my Xanax was kicking in very well I got some amazing pants at Torrid, Amy bought a super-cute dress and I convinced her to get an eye makeover at the Mac Counter. She looked amazing!!! We finished off with some drinks at a pub next to the mall. We were both dragging (no pun intended) by this time, so we started back south to our jobs, boring clothes, and our wonderful families. Until next time Girlfriend!!!

The moral of the story: nobody seemed to care how we were dressed except us! The key to self-acceptance and well-being is to realize that anything is possible. You cannot imagine what you are capable of and you must know that you are not alone. It was a revelation for me to discover that another lady my age, and with similar interests lived just down the road.

[JamieQ]

Sounds like a great day! The Cool Springs Galleria Mall! I've been to many times even tho it's a few hours away. I always thought that it would be a great place to go out enfemme

[Salina]

What a fun day! Thanks for sharing and I hope to go out with another girl sometime.

[Dana44]

Sounds like a nice day Miss Mandy.

[alwayshave]

Mandy, Sounds like a great day. I have only once had one notice where there was a noticeable reaction.

[SheriM]

Tell us. do the two of you pass? What did you wear? Reactions?

[kimdl93]

I'd seen a couple pictures Amy posted. You both looked great and its nice to know that a truly enjoyable time is possible, even in the Old South!

[mykell]

thanks for sharing, i normally go solo and would love a wing girlfriend....amazing how it feels to get over your "self" and just enjoy yourself....gotta ditch the xanax next time....

[Amy Fakley]

Oh my gawd, what an amazing and beautiful day that was, Mandy! There were so many firsts for me, I feel like I could write a book!

There is something so special about finding a friend that you can truely relate to, and then going out into the world together. Going out always feels wonderful, and natural and heavenly ... but for me it is also dampened by the weight of anxiety and self doubt and all the rest. Going out is a cruscible of sorts for me, in that respect.

I can't count now many times I've gotten myself pulled together in girl mode, and been too timid to actually do anything I wanted to do. Having Mandy to push me a little was exactly what I needed to find the courage to be myself to others in public, and it was beyond rewarding!

A few lessons learned:

1) nobody gives a hoot
Seems like I have to relearn this one every time I go out. People just do not care. They don't have time to care, and if they did, I honestly think 99% of them don't want to make a scene. Always gotta be on the lookout for that 1% though, obviously. Sort of like the beach ... yes there are sharks in the ocean, but it's extremely unlikely that you'll find them unless you seek them out.

2) people are a mirror in that they nearly always reflect back what you show them
By the end of the day, we were in a bar, slightly buzzed. My stubble was beginning to show, my wig was getting frizzed up, I'd sweated the adhesive off my boobs. I'd used the bathroom, and one of my hips fell out. I tried to fix it in the stall, but the bathroom was busy and there was no full length mirror ... so I confidently walked out of the bathroom with one hip about 6 inches lower and to the front than the other, lol. The point is, if you'd taken a minute to look at me, you'd have probably laughed your ass off ... but nobody did, and it think that is entirely because I was just buzzed enough to believe in myself to the point where it was obvious to others that I felt that I belonged there, and they instinctively respected that confidence.

3) you have not seen the true face of terror until you have seen two t-girls in a hot summer parking lot frantically searching for the rental car keys :-)

I sincerely hope we can do this again soon, Mandy. What an amazing day!

Also ... yeah my picture thread got deleted because I forgot that it hasn't been 7 days since I last posted in there ... i may post them again once my 7 day limit has expired, if the spirit moves me :-)


And one more ...

4) "pecker wrecker" beer is a thing that exists, and yes ... a tranny did walk into a bar and order it

[Allisa]

I love these stories of an "awakening" of sorts that we belong in the world and we are just being ourselves and along the way we enjoy the day even with it's little set backs.

[Aunt Kelly]

Can't say it any better than Allisa just did. It is indeed wonderful to see others discover two things; that being out in public just isn't the big scary deal our mind tends to make it, and being out in public with friends is even more fun than you could imagine.

Hugs,


Kelly

[Sandy Clifton]

Always love reading about gal-pal outings!
Nice job and thanks for sharing!

[Jenna Stunned]

Sounds like an amazing day, And bet there will be many more to come!

4) "pecker wrecker" beer is a thing that exists, and yes ... a tranny did walk into a bar and order it

OMG I dying over this!!

[Heidi Stevens]

Oh I wish have could have joined you. I went to high school just south of town in Franklin and Nashville was our go to place for fun. (Franklin was a small town with nothing there in the early 70's). Nashville is like a lot of great towns that are accepting and welcoming to everyone. Glad you got to meet each other and have some fun!

[michelleddg]

Gal Pal outings rock! Way to go Mandy and Amy! Hugs, Michelle

[Rachael Leigh]

Mandy, it really sounded like you two had such a wonderful time. Being out is such fun, like you said most just don't notice
or really care. We all should not be afraid of ourselves. We are just people. Thanks for sharing your story