Hi everybody! I’m Valerie, (I did a whole intro over on Transfem if you want to check that out), I’m 41, be 42 in a few months, I’m in the U.S. originally from one of the not great states. I live in Colorado now though, actually about to move cities here at the end of the month for a new job. And, I’m pretty reserved at first, I like to take in a situation and people through observation quietly when you first meet me. However, once I get to know folks, I am usually joyful and VERY talkative. (As will become obvious if you know me, I’m prone to being long winded. It’s a problem. I’ve had to learn through great personal difficulty how and when to be concise.)

I’m a teacher so obviously I love working with students, seeing them grow and learn and just be their amazing selves! In my free time, I love to read so, I do a lot of that. I just finished Andy Weir’s Hail Mary, before that The Book Thief, Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Dispossessed, The Word for World is Forest, The Left Hand of Darkness, Lisa Klein’s Ophelia, The Priory of the Orange Tree, Hood Feminism, and I could keep going but you probably get the idea. I also really enjoy video games, please don’t judge, and I have a Steam Deck, since GOG had a deal I bought the Yakuza series and have started my way through Yakuza 0, looking forward to playing through them all.

I feel like I’m navigating much better now. I left a prior teaching job the summer before my 40th birthday, knowing that they would not be comfortable with me transitioning, and tutored for about a year before the leadership their realized I was trans and dismissed me (though naturally that wasn’t the reason given.) I had really struggled this last year to find a new job and went through my savings, finally my parents had to help me out BUT, I got a new teaching position with an awesome and inclusive school, which I start at the end of this month. I’m very excited about pursuing this new opportunity in a new town where people will only ever know the real me, you know? 😁 It’s a lot so, ask me again next year and I may finally feel like I’ve gotten everything together. 😜

As for a question, hmm, well, I guess I’d like to know about other folks relationships, if they’re in one or not and if their partner(s) knew/met them before transition and how navigating those personal relationships have been, what challenges you all faced if any. Now, I get off light here since I’m single and have been for a quite awhile. (I knew I was trans long before I actually transitioned, even if I didn’t have the vocab for it early on.) I just didn’t think it was fair to a potential partner (or myself for that matter) to start seeing anyone while I was maintaining a false outward presentation and I’ve got so much else going on since starting transition, including transition itself that I’m just not in a place for a relationship yet. So, I think that wraps it all up. I’ve really loved hearing from folks on the fediverse already and I’m looking forward to talking with all you beautiful folks here on TransLater as well! 🥰

Hi Xenia! 👋 I’m Valerie. Welcome! It’s great to meet you. :)

Hi LadyAutumn! 👋 I am enjoying Lemmy very much, thanks to folks like you! Yes, being able to work with such courageous young people has been incredibly inspiring. It’s one of the primary reasons I’ve continued to be an educator despite so many recent challenges. “The Kids Are Alright” as my father’s favorite rock band, The Who, once sang. Thank you so much for your kind words, I’m honestly surprised sometimes by how much more joyful my life has become since accepting myself as I am. Thanks again for your warm welcome, I’m sure I’ll love it here! 😁👍

A pleasure to meet you as well! Thank you, I’m sure I will.

Thank you! Yes, my mom says the same thing. I was pretty good at faking happy before but now that I know what it actually feels like I can’t imagine going back.

Oh man, you just brought back a memories for me of playing this game on our Super NES (when it was still labelled Final Fantasy III in the U.S. market) with my brother. We took turns and after beating the story the first time, (what a shock World of Ruin was for us the first time) we went back and ground ALL the characters to level 99, used the Espers and items to get them every spell, got all Gau’s Rages on the Veldt. (I don’t think we completed Strago’s Lores but I had kind of fallen off by that point, my brother may have.) Geez, core memory restored of bonding with my little brother, ozoned, so thanks!