I'm wondering how literal "girl" is. Like, would I go back to being a little girl? Absolutely not. But would I go back to being like 20? Maybe! There's some shit I'd like to do differently.
Thanks for this topic! What has been the most unexpected part of transitioning for you? What part was most uncomfortable? What part made you happiest? What parts of transitioning might be surprising to cis women?
Minidisc. My then-boyfriend bought me a recorder for Xmas 2002 and I was absolutely in love with it. I still use minidisc but I think for most people it was a flash in the pan - it didn't have the staying power that I thought it would.
Also ephedra - right before it was banned, all the women in my office went through the Atkins -> Xenadrine -> Pilates fads. Holy crap did that suck. Atkins made me stink (ketosis) and xenadrine make me shaky, dizzy, and irate. I was too poor for pilates haha. The entire office was miserable!
I do some self-care things that don't seem huge but really help me feel like I'm on top of things.
For example, I have a skincare routine which is a little time-consuming (about 15 minutes each time) but has really helped take my skin from normal to beautiful. I'm 42 but I don't look my age, and in part that's down to genetics, but also hydration and skin care.
I also see a personal trainer three times a week at my gym for strength training, and even though I hate cardio, I try to incorporate it on my off days.
Nutrition is an important part of self-care for me, and I cook most meals at home. I love going out to eat but the food in most restaurants is so unhealthy and/or high-calorie, which is especially annoying as a short woman. I try to limit myself to about 1450-1500 calories a day, and getting an entrée and a couple of drinks at a restaurant can easily meet my daily calorie limit if I'm not careful.
Also, nail art! I've recently gotten into stamping and it's so much fun, and I get a lot of compliments :)
And I have a strict dog-snuggling schedule, which always brings a smile to my face ;)
You talk about things like property taxes and 401k contributions more often than you ever thought would be possible
You seriously weigh whether a drink is worth the bad sleep and headache it'll cause you
Your pop-culture references are lost on younger folks
You start referring to college-aged people as "kids"
You need reading glasses but you're in denial about it
Injuries take longer to heal
Those of your peers who haven't taken care of themselves are starting to have serious health issues
You care more about flossing, skincare, fiber, and hydration
You still rock bottom eyeliner like you did in high school
You've seen fashion from your high school years go out of style and then come back as "retro"
You see the utter confusion on your nephew's face when you explain that you used to keep a quarter in your bike pouch in case you needed to call someone, because he doesn't remember a time before cell phones and his generation isn't allowed to just roam around unsupervised on their bikes
You have strong opinions about things like laundry detergent brands
Birds become fascinating
You have no problem spending a few hundred dollars on a new kayak paddle, but the price of cold cuts these days is just unacceptable
Generally I don't have a hard time separating the art from the artist. And it's probably bad and selfish, but if I had to stop listening to David Bowie, Eric Clapton, and John Lennon, I'd be so depressed. The world is deeply shitty, so I'm hanging on to whatever happiness I can find. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Because I'm neurotic, I always place items on the belt grouped in the order that I plan to bag them: first comes cold items, then pantry items, then hygiene & cleaning products, and lastly produce.
Also a great soundtrack for schtupping.