NCL notified me that I had to check in for my cruise. Although I was ready and willing to do so, I did not have a picture of me available that was suitable - all of the shots I've saved on this computer in female presentation have me wearing glasses. So I will need to wait until the next time I'm dressed as Marian before I can take a photo of me without glasses.
Getting all the paperwork in order before a trip is a pain in the ass. This time, I have to take care of airline check-in procedures in addition to cruise line check-in procedures. Although taking care of things isn't that difficult, more can go wrong and cause me trouble when at the airport or in Hawaii. So I want to be sure that I have gotten things right before leaving home to go on my cruise.
Right now, I have started to arrange both my carry-on bag and my toiletry kit for my outbound travel. Even though I may not need to take off my shoes or pull out my electronics and liquids (I have trusted traveler status), I still have to follow the rules for passing through a security checkpoint. In short, I have to be prepared for the random "SSSS" printed on the bottom of my boarding pass, whether or not I am actually subject to special screening. And then, I have to wait to get on the plane. Once I'm finally on the plane, I must be ready to be uncomfortable for the next 12 hours. I'm lucky that I paid for confirmed seats on the aisle, as I may have a little more room to stretch out now and then. And I won't be disturbing anyone as I get out of my seat to go to the loo.
When I last contacted Kim (Traveling Transgender), she didn't have much advice for me. So I will likely need to talk to the TSA agent before going through the security checkpoint and ask for appropriate screening. After I have successfully done this once, I expect I will have little trouble on the return trip. (I'll be sure to keep emergency information on hand, lest I get stuck at the airport.) This will be a new experience for me - Flying Pretty. Kim has done this many times, and has written about it in her blog. Sadly, she doesn't write much anymore, as her job now keeps her "down on the farm" much more now than in the past.
If I felt it were right for me at this time, I'd do several things. First, I'd change my name to use the familiar version of my first name (works for both genders). Then, I'd get partial FFS (Facial Feminization Surgery) to make my face androgynous. And finally, I'd get some electrolysis done to remove my beard, and to eliminate the hairs on my back that I can't shave off by myself. (If I had the time and money, I'd remove all the hair below the neck, save maybe my pubic hair. But that's an expensive proposition.) With these changes, I could get a wig styled in a way that I could go out as a female one day, and then use another wig (a toupee) for use when I want to present as a male. Then, I could present my ID, and people would be looking at my face, and not the gender marker on the ID.
Compared to many other transgender folk, I still have it good. I've found that most people don't give a damn about how ugly a female I am, or how fat a male I am when I present in the associated gender. I have a girlfriend who says she loves me, and I will do what it takes to preserve the relationship - even if I slow down my journey on this transgender path....
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