Exploring means taking steps. I’ve known for a long time who I am but am only expressing it more openly and more widely recently. It’s amazing how a little thing can cause such joy, or gender euphoria. These little things are so important to me now, and so special.

One thing I love is my new trans pride flag earrings. Wearing it just lights up my day. I’ve worn an earring for years, and it was just like putting on a watch. I did it in the morning, took it off at night. With this earring, though, I just get a skip in my heart and a warm feeling in my body. It’s affirming who I am and what is important to me.

I even had someone I just met say, “I like your earring”. The way she said it and looked at me, I’m almost 100% certain she understood its meaning and she supported me. That didn’t scare me, it affirmed me and made me feel just a tad more special.

Another thing I started doing was changing the lock screen on my phone. I’m not usually one for busy screens, preferring simple shapes or a low-res image. But, I was playing around and found out about using emojis and was able to blend a pink heart, the trans pride flag and an emoji of a woman raising her hand. To me, this is “I’m here, I’m trans, I’m happy and I’m proud.”