What It Is

              I didn’t really notice when the change happened. In the weeks and days leading up to my departure for college, I felt an increasing amount of anxiety. I’ve noticed just today that I have no anxiety. I also cannot recall having any for at least the past week and then some. It seems any hang-ups I had pre-transition have dissipated without me ever really being aware of it.

              What I’ve found most surprising about my college experience thus far is how comfortable I am here. I feel like I really can connect with people here. People that think similarly to how I think. I have better access to social and academic aid than I’ve never had before. In a sense, I feel more at home here than I did for at least the last few months/years that I lived at home. I often felt isolated at home. No one in my household really shared a lot of interests with me. I found it difficult to open-up to anyone not out of fear of embarrassment, but because I knew that my experience is unlike my parents’ or friends’ experiences. I knew that there was a decent probability that any advice I received could be inapplicable to my current situation. I didn’t want to burden anyone with my problems, and then leave them or myself disappointed when they could not help me.

              Since I’ve been in Ithaca, I’ve been relieved to discover how much I’ve adapted to and enjoyed being here. Things are great.