To Leeds!

I overslept.

Normally this would be the start of a bad day. Not today.

“I'm gonna be late”, “Still coming here to get ready?”, “gonna get ready here and meet you there.”

I am in Sheffield and going to Leeds. Wearing skinny fit jeans, a combined shirt and vest top, a black jacket and four inch heels. I felt beautiful. I felt happy, last nights scares and pressures overridden by a 3am trip to Asda, where I bought a plain black jacket, the jeans and top I wore today and a LBD, as I was without one. Amazing what clothes shopping can do for me.

Achievements? First solo bus ride, first solo train ride, more than five words said to a random person.

I was hoping for a ride to the train station, it was not going to happen. I had got ready at 'home' and set off. I was worried that my make-up was a little excessive for day wear, had my worries confirmed but went out as such anyway.

I got a little way down the road and realised that I'd left behind a pair of shoes I was supposed to be taking with me, so I backtracked to the house and picked them up. After walking a little way down the road, a bus pulled up next to a stop just as I was getting to it, so I caught it.

I got a bottle of Dr. Pepper at the station (What's the worst that could happen?) and considered getting a magazine.

Waiting for the train was fun. I got out my DS and played a little, girls can be geeks too. A woman in a train waiting at another platform signalled a thumbs up at me, I nodded in reciprocation and as her train pulled out, we waved goodbye to each other.

Who she was I have no idea; what was going through her mind: likewise. I took a strange sense of encouragement, despite knowing that for me to have got that kind of attention I must have been 'made'.

Leeds centre was a bit unwelcoming. A few people had made comments and had stared at me as I passed by. I arrived safely though and began to chat to people...

More than two dozen spring to mind that I talked to, although I wont name who I can remember for fear of missing anyone. I didn't get to talk to everyone though (sorry!)

I drank more than was intelligent considering I had to return to Sheffield and that I had not eaten at all during the day. I was a complete social butterfly though, flitting between groups and people.

I felt accepted as feminine, and welcome, and completely at ease. I got to talk about myself, catch up on most of the gossip, and generally have fun like people do. I saw people I've not seen in a while, met a few people I've not seen before, and got to talk to people I see regularly online.

Yes I had a good day. I spent the day being treated as a 'she'.

The journey back was uneventful, save for the mixed group in Leeds, where one of the lads began making a fuss about me after I had passed, only to get ignored and told to shut up (“leave her alone”) I caught my train and almost fell asleep a few times before arriving back in Sheffield. 

I got stopped and asked for directions while crossing the city centre, I couldn't help them at all though.

Then it was a long-ish walk home, starving and alone. Night had fallen. I stopped at a KFC for food and passed a few bars on the way back with no incident. I would have caught the bus, but I had forgotten to note which ones I could get and where I could get them from.

It feels great now. I'm glad I did it. It was very affirming and made me more resolute as a female. I still feel there is more practice to be done, more trips to be made, more life to be lived, before it feels normal, but however weird it feels at the moment, it feels right. I'm looking forward to the follow ups and aftermath.

I love myself today; my stomach is contented now, my feet will forgive me, my head will recover, and my body will rest soon.