Author Archives: adventurerliberated

One last moment of hesitation and then Arys did it. He walked into the men’s changing room at the climbing gym.  It was a new space for him. He didn’t know where to expect the stalls and wash basins, didn’t know where the lockers and towels would be. And he didn’t want to look aroundContinue reading “Hey man, what’s up?”

People stare at me.  Adults at the swimming-pool on average look at me with a longer and/or slightly more puzzled look than they used to when I was female-presenting and wearing some type of standard woman’s swimsuit.  Last Saturday, three teenage boys kept staring at me and talking amongst themselves as I stretched on theContinue reading “People staring”

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/09/1155819217/young-florida-athletes-wont-have-to-share-their-menstrual-cycle-details-to-compe https://www.npr.org/2023/04/05/1168219569/authors-of-banned-books-are-fed-up-and-fighting-back https://www.npr.org/2023/04/19/1170553504/florida-abortion-life-of-the-mother-exception-mental-health-suicide-psychiatric https://www.npr.org/2023/04/19/1170919494/fate-of-abortion-pills-remains-in-doubt-as-supreme-court-ponders-lower-court-ver

I guess I’m an optimist who cannot avoid seeing — or trying to find — the silver lining in everything…  The silver lining of the abusive situation with my former housemate/landlady escalating and exploding three weeks ago is that it led to a much deeper connection with people within my choir/queer community in a wayContinue reading “A deeper sense of belonging”

“…  If you want to see the world, you have to say goodbye Cause a map does no good hanging on a wall If you want to see the world, you have to say goodbye Cause a map does no good hanging on a wall ” [from the song “Map on a wall” by LucyContinue reading ““Map on a wall””

A week later, I’ve changed, and let go of, another California plate: the one on my motorcycle. Now, my motorcycle proudly exhibits the temporary version of its new, Colorado, plate.  I’m realizing that part of the reason — and possibly the major part of the reason — why I sometimes still miss certain aspects andContinue reading “Pieces of settling in to Colorado…”

I feel the need to write, to desperately write, letting it all out in some creative way. Or draw, do a big, a huge painting, to draw out my feelings.  I wish I were more of an artist, a better artist. I wish I could let things out in a creative way that could beContinue reading “Letting go of another little piece of California”

This past week I attended several events for the Transgender Awareness Week, including two festive events this weekend.  Last year, only two months after my move from California to Colorado, I attended some similar events for the Transgender Awareness Week.  A year later now, in many ways I’ve come so far… Even just from theContinue reading “What am I?”

Today, exactly two months and one day after my masculinizing mastectomy, I finally went back to the swimming pool and trained bare-chested, wearing a man’s Speedo for the first time in my adult life!  It felt great!  It also felt weird — it’s still so unfamiliar to me… And I still feel vulnerable and exposed,Continue reading “The boy’s first swim!”