Welcome to Gaia! ::

Well, the Rejected Olympics are almost a year behind us, though it doesn't seem like it. So, I decided to finally post this topic I've been putting off since day one, though I have so much more to say now.

I just wanted to say, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, every last one of you. Had it not been for you guys and this event, I definitely wouldn't be the person I am now, just a year later, and I definitely wouldn't have such kickass friends.

When this all started, I was a complete social recluse. I had a handful of close friends in real life, and that was it. No internet friends to speak of, really, as I preferred to keep my head down and not get noticed. It wasn't until after the events were over, and hanging around watching you guys quietly too afraid to speak because I was sure I'd say something stupid, that I finally started to come out of my shell, and gain some confidence.

But that's not even close to the extent that this event, and all of you, have helped me. I am a bisexual MTF Transsexual. I've been aware of this for several years, however, between abandonment issues and fear of bodily harm living in the south, I've always been terrified of the prospect of coming out so to speak, so remained as deep in the closet as possible. Up to that point, I'd only ever told one person, just so I didn't go insane, and even on the internet, a place on anonymity, tried my best to hide who I was, because I was so terrified of no one wanting anything to do with me, if they knew who I really was. So here I was, living a life I didn't want to live because I was too afraid to live for myself. But, during one of the first frog jump sessions, a topic came up. I can't remember how it came up, but it was the topic of sexual identity. I sat there and watched, and eventually, it was steered towards gender identity, as Jackie mentioned HRT. And then I just sat there, watching how open and more importantly happy these complete strangers seemed with who they were. And so, I sent a PM to Jackie, and she began to slowly help me start on the path that I'd been to afraid to travel for so long.

As time went on, and the events drew to a close, I honestly thought that'd be the last I'd see any of you. I think a lot of us thought that. But then this guild happened, and the guild chat. Had it not been for this guild, I would have never even spoken to several people I consider close friends now. These people, who should have just stopped at being teammates, had become my friends, it was so weird, and I never expected anything like that to happen.

Now, I've been living full time for nearly four months, and am expecting to begin therapy next month. Not only that, but I've become far more outgoing, and not just on the internet (though I'm still waaay more shy and socially awkward than I'd like to be.) Had it not been for this event, I wouldn't be who I am right now. Had one thing not happened, had Kaper not started the Bacon Bowling Teams, had Grim not shot me a PM telling me about the meetups, had I not been randomly placed in that specific room, I'd still be the same loser trying so hard to not show the world the real her, living a lie possibly my entire life. So, thank you guys. I love you all so ******** much. And I owe who I am to you.

It really is a weird thought.

Yeah it would have been terrible, and it was the path I was on.

And thanks so much for everything.
And that could never happen, I might be more confident, but I'll never be confident enough to inspire someone like Jackie did XD