Kim’s California Adventures Begin
When I moved to California a number of years ago, I had to figure out how to get started going out. Where should I go? Is it safe to go out? Should I go out alone or try to find some new friends on the West Coast who I could go with? What about the logistics, given that I am a part-time girl and have to keep my life compartmentalized? Well, part-time on the outside, I mean. On the inside I always feel like a woman.
After just a few weeks of arriving on the West Coast, I had already developed a routine. My go-to places were generally Denny’s, Longs Drug, and Starbucks. I should mention that Longs Drug was bought out by CVS some years back, but at the time I moved here there were Longs Drug stores open 24/7 around here. It was a perfect opportunity for me to shop for cosmetics and use the ladies room if I needed to. At that time, I went to Denny’s maybe three times per week, which of course added up to a bit of money. But they are open 24/7, so I could get out very early, even on a weekday before work, and be able to come back home without attracting too much attention in the apartment complex we lived in then.
Logistics are a key consideration for someone who is a part-time girl. For example, how do I get out of the house without my neighbors noticing me? Well, when we first arrived in California, I threw caution to the wind and didn’t mind what the neighbors thought. I would walk, in full Kimberly ensemble including high heeled pumps and skirt, from our upper floor apartment to where my car was parked down below. I would go out in the early morning hours when it was dark, but with the lights in the parking lot anyone who peeked out their window could see me. A few times I even went out in broad daylight, in a dress and heels. Did the neighbors see me? I am not sure, but how could they not see me, was the conclusion I eventually came to.
Later on, I went back to only going out in the early morning hours of darkness in order to maintain greater privacy. And I developed a way that I could easily and quickly change out in the car. For example, if wearing a dress, I could pull on a hooded sweatshirt and jeans over my dress, and change into sneakers, before going back into our upstairs apartment. That, plus bring along a package of makeup remover towelettes to “take off the girl” before stepping out of my car. And of course remove the wig too. Such was life as a part-time girl. If I had been full time it would be easier as far as that goes.
This was how I got my start after moving to the West Coast, after about 18 months of going out as Kimberly on the East Coast. In my next essay I will continue the story of my early adventures on the West Coast.
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Category: Out & About, Transgender Body & Soul