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When I arrived in Atlanta for Southern Comfort, I was as nervous as the long tailed cat in the room full of rocking chairs. I wasn't sure what to expect or how I should act. What I didn't expect, was the love, compassion, understanding, and support I received, even being just a first timer.
I received and gave more hugs in one week, than in my entire lifetime. NO one had a bad word to say about ANYONE, and everyone was amazingly open and caring. I talked to more girls in the space of the week, than I ever thought possible, and we had a BALL!!!
Having Grover, Holly, Gwen, Ariel and Scotty there just made the whole thing that much more enjoyable, and I am forever in their debt for sharing the con with me. About the only thing bad I can say about anything was the fact that the Hotel food was ehh, and EXPENSIVE!! Fortunately, there were many fast food joints, and several really nice restaurants within shuttle distance from the Hotel.
The experience itself, though, was all I ever could have dreamed of. I didn't take part in any of their pre-planned outings or adventures, but I spent a LOT of time on the front terrace, unofficially known as The Nicotine Lounge, just meeting and talking with the girls and guys there. The place was almost always alive with conversations with the most interesting people.
I honestly feel that my life has changed quite a bit, now that the conference is over for this year. I have a new focus on my life and what I need to do for myself and my sisters and brothers in the TG community. I have a new understanding of this TG, thing that has caused me to re-think my priorities and goals. I have a new belief in the Almighty, and I am going to place my life and its direction in His hands. During the course of two, count 'em, TWO makeovers, I learned that I CAN be pretty, and I loved that feeling.
If anyone hasn't attended this premiere event of the TG world, I STRONGLY suggest that you save your pennies and plan on attending next year...the 20th Anniversary of this World's Largest TG Conference. I spent nearly 2 thousand dollars, and I don't regret a single penny of it. In fact, IF I can afford to attend next year, I anticipate that total to almost double, but it will be worth it to me.
I cried Friday night, knowing that Saturday was the last day of the con, and I'd have to leave and go home. I cried Saturday before my second makeover. (I wasn't about to cry and mess up a 70 dollar glamour makeover!) I cried Saturday night, spending the largest portion of my time outside in the Nicotine Lounge, trying to say goodbye and thank you to all the wonderful, wonderful new friends I'd made. I cried almost all the way back to Columbia while Grover drove my car, Sunday. I've cried off and on all day today, Monday, wanting to go back and do it all over again...and for all that crying, I still would go back in a heartbeat.
I will truly miss the event, but mostly the people. I collected many business/acquaintence cards, and gave out more than 50 of my own. I literally gave away 8 or 9 copies of my book to people who expressed an interest in having a copy. One went to the makeup artist, Amanda Richards, who is a magician with makeup when, in the course of my first makeover, I mentioned that I was a writer and had a book out. When I told her the title of the story, she said that she had not only READ the story, but had read it TWICE, and LOVED it! Suffice it to say that she got a signed copy of my book.
I met everyone from Trans lady truck drivers who didn't wear makeup, to investment counselors who did, to a snowboarding pioneer, to...well, you get the picture. I even met a young girl who believes she is SPECIES dysphoric. We talked for a good hour, and at the end of it, she got up and gifted me with the most tender, loving hug I got all week, just because I sat and listened and "got it".
All in all, this WAS the best week of my life, the most fun I've had in my life, the most wonderful, fulfilling, glorious, fantastic time of my life. I will probably not come down from this "high" for weeks, and I look forward to next year's Conference with eagerness and hope. If finances allow, I WILL be there...with BELLS on!
HIgher than a kite (metaphorically) and not wanting to come down, I am,
Catherine Linda Michel
Comments
That is great to hear!
Catherine,
I ams so pleased to hear that you had such a wonderful experience at SCC. Keep those memories with you all the year long, and start saving your pennies for next year.
Hugs,
Kristy
Catherine is not the only one higher than a kite.
She told how much she spent, but it is possible to go and not spend nearly that much, if you must be on a budget. Not counting airfare, ( $10 with my frequent flyer miles ), I spent only a third as much, since we shared the room cost.
And if I can get there next year, I will save on the registration, buy not ordering the hotel meals. They were good, but costly. Even there, the camaraderie was wonderful.
But the hotel food was too rich for my waistline, as well as costly, so next year I will eat out more.
Cathy mentioned spending time out in the ‘Nicotine Lounge’, The terrace as she called it, is under a huge glass/plexi? Roof so even when we did have a heavy shower Saturday after 3 days without rain, it was easy to stay there and stay dry. ( It does leak a couple of places, but strangely, ONLY over the carpet running from the arrival area, to the front entrance.
However, for those who do not smoke, the front ballroom had many large and small round tables and comfortable chairs to meet and greet.
Besides the camaraderie, I attended several very good seminars, and a couple that weren’t so good, and got to meet three people face to face I had only met here until now, and dozens/hundreds of others I never knew a thing about.
It’s not given to anyone to have no regrets; only to decide, through the choices we make, which regrets we’ll have,
David Weber – In Fury Born
I DO NOT REGRET GOING TO SCC.
Holly
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.
Holly
I won't soon forget.
I am so good at decieving myself that it often takes weeks, or a lifetime for the truth of a matter to finally steal into my consciousness. Much to my surprise, I had a good time there, at first telling myself that I was attending part of it to meet some friends. Somehow, I supposed I had imagined profane orgies happening in every corner, and much to my astonishment I saw none at all.
There was a woman from Tacoma that had enquired about me but I never managed to connect with her, though I did try; sorry, unknown girl from Tacoma.
It was wonderful to see so many other women there who had the same struggles and concerns as I do; you know, what will I cook for dinner, how can I lose more weight and yes that dress in the store window really is adorable. I also ran into women who are just as confused about sports as I and then in a moment of epiphany, I realized that I probably could sit through one of those footsball games if my husband held my interest with sufficent cuddling and intimate tongue wrestling. Though, I still can find no logical reason for getting ones garments all full of grass stains. I also discovered that the british have a game that they also call football, but it is played with a round ball and they stay much cleaner.
The last night, this man sat with us around the dinner table, and he was so handsome that I knew that if he touched me he could carry me to his room and have his will with me. When he looked at me, I just knew that I had found someone who would make me "Woman"! Not daring to dream in such a manner, I fled back to my room lest my hormones get the best of me.
Everyone I met there was so nice. The trip was absolutely wonderful until I got to the "United Airlines" Ticket counter where the man had little compassion at 3:00AM and after three trips back and forth between TSA and UA, I was finally reduced to tears. The whole situation with their really aloof ticket machines, and explaining nothing, I began to wish that I had remained in rural Oregon. Finally a gentleman took pitty on me and explained it all. I never did have to divulge that my biggest fear was totally losing my temper with Mr Prick and getting arrested by some really "wanting to be mean looking" police standing nearby.
I traveled in the full garb of my faith and was astonished that not one person accused me of being anything but a loyal American. Perhaps the America that I had served nearly 4 decades before is still alive.
Many Blessings
Khadija Gwen
I remember my first T-convention
... and I felt exactly the same way you did afterward. It was galvanizing and focusing. It also made me realize that I was not a crossdresser, but TG or TS. It took a while to figure out which was more appropriate, but being able to exclude a category was a revelation.
There are other T-conventions out there, some more welcoming then others. In areas like the restaurants around the hotel I find that acceptance was more or less money driven. One of the oldest, if not the oldest, is Fantasia Fair where P-town, MA is is where most of the town is most welcoming and the salons and such will provide whatever makeovers and stuff. It is unfortunate the weather in that part of the country that time of the year is highly variable and you may or may not get warm and dry weather, however you cannot argue with the foliage that appears in that part of the woods nor the natural beauty of the National Seashore area.
However, this event lasts for a whole week and the opportunities to socialize is what is best about that event. It is oriented towards CDs mostly with some programs for TS folks. Consequentially there are few TS folks there ( including me ) but those who do come back come back for the sake of friendships made and it is definitely more of a vacation for me anyway. A group of us has gone to this event merely for the socializing aspect ( and for the odd seminar that is interesting ) for almost two decades now and if time and money permits we try to make a point of coming back.
Finally, for what its worth, you do not even have to attend the Fair itself, saving you the 600 dollars or so for the week, but there are still opportunities to socialize with the folks who are attending the Fair and you are still welcome.
Kim
And I was the one who
And I was the one who spoiled it all....
I showed up looking the grungiest of them all. Yep, I was in my normal garb, jeans and a t-shirt. One of these days they will see me in something else, then the world will rotate backwards for a day or two and cats will begin to fly.
Everyone was dressed up and I was slummin', but it was nice meeting everyone and I had a good time with you all even though I was not really at the con. I also got to kidnap Holly and take her a few states away. I think she loves the comfort and noise level in my car. Now if I could just get her into heavy metal and Cathy into anime....
-Scotty
Life would suck if it weren't so entertaining sometimes.
Life would suck if it weren't so entertaining sometimes.
Two Cents
I guess it is time for me to chime in since everyone else including Understanding Spouse has had their say. I'm going to post more of my experience in my own blog, but I wanted to add here that meeting face to face those I'd chatted with and commented about were a really blast! This was great and although I had those moments when I was in complete overload and needed some serious quiet time everyone were completely supportive. As for Scotty ruining anything don't you believe it! That last day I was back in my usual cargo shorts and T because I was really ready to come home to Understanding Spouse. "Remember home is where the heart is. There is no place like home. There is no place like home!"
Hugs!
Grover