Alaskan Transcendentalist

Well Folks, we have finished our 24 Day Challenge! This was by far the best thing we have done for ourselves, but we were most certainly not perfect. We had a lot of success but not near what we had hoped. However, this was due to our learning curve. The challenge itself, with its supplements and drinks, was easy to do. We felt better after our ten day cleanse, and I no longer had stomach issues after eating. I still feel amazing and am enjoying my new freedom. However, we recognized some of our mistakes as we look back on our journey... 1- We did not eat enough veggies. We did add a lot more veggies to our diet than we had previously been eating but still not as much as the challenge calls for. We also had to eat a lot more frozen veggies than fresh veggies due to our limited budget. The nice thing about it though was the variation in which we could cook and prepare everything. We ate salads, and we ate an entire 5 pound bag of carrots with hummus in under three days.... it

Alright we are on Day 8 of our 24 Day Challenge. Let me tell you, this has been an amazing week of learning. I was so not mentally ready for this challenge on day 1. I will tell you that right now. However, it was a perfect start to help get me mentally prepared for a lifelong lifestyle change. Some things that I have discovered about myself include that I have had a very weak disposition when it comes to carbs and sweets. I have to really be on my guard about the little sweets that seem to sneak into my diet like an Oreo cookie, a cupcake, or ice cream. I won't have a lot, but I will pick at sweets and other carbs that are around the house. SO, I cannot have them in the house for a “just in case”. If I need sweets, I need to make a healthy alternative for a treat. A positive aspect I've learned, I'm great at prepping and packing lunches if I make up my mind to do it. I have spent the last week prepping my lunch the night before and the beginning of the week is now

As day 6 of our 24 Day Challenge is about to start, I have a few things to reflect upon... I've had a few slips, with late night snacking, the last two days. I've always been a night owl and so late night snacking has been a habit that has always been part of my life. I must admit though, it is much better than in years past. My snacks have involved popcorn without salt or butter and another night was trail mix (only 4 M&Ms) that included peanuts, sunflower seeds, and raisins. While I probably shouldn't have added the late night food, nevertheless the extra calories, I've realized that I shouldn't try to change everything about myself at once. As human beings we all have faults. I myself have many. I also have many things I would like to change about myself and certain habits I would like to break and some I would like to start. What I am discovering however, is that we should not try to change and add everything all at once. The biggest example

It is day three of our 24 Day Challenge, and I am feeling pretty good. I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised that this cleanse has not interrupted my daily lifestyle by confining me to a toilet most of the day. It might be a bit personal, but I have done my fair share of fad diets and cleansing type products and the results are not fun. Being stuck in a stinky bathroom is the worst, especially when you need to be in class- so the normalcy of this cleanse is an incredible perk. Another big factor is that I feel energized. Most hard core diets and cleanses I've done leave me exhausted and STARVING! With the 24 Day Challenge I get to EAT! And I get to eat more than even I had anticipated. The key is to eat smaller portions spread through the day and what I'm eating has far less calories than what I used to eat. I'm eating way more fruits and vegetables in a day that I used to eat in a week. Who knew that steamed veggies and adding kidney beans to my food would b

Lately I'm sure you have seen my postings all over Facebook and Pinterest about Advocare. You're probably sick of seeing it and wondering when I'm going to give up being so excited; well I hate to break it to ya, but I don't see myself getting any less excited about finding something as amazing as Advocare. I'll explain.... I first came across Advocare through some friends of my fiance'. They shared their story (yay woopdie doo) and gave us some samples: Spark Energy Drink, Rehydrate, Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bar, and an Advocare meal replacement shake. Well fabulous! I was quite skeptic and thought that I was about to encounter another stupid trick that would only tease me about weight loss and having energy. I've been trying to lose weight and have tried MANY diets since I was 12 years old. I know my way around Atkins, South Beach, HCG, Low Carb, Low fat, and diabetic diets. If it is out there, you bet I have tried it; even the devil itself: The C

Let’s talk bathrooms; yes I know it’s a bit gross and maybe a bit unnerving but it’s time.             Often I have people ask me if there is anything I miss about being female. I only have one answer and even that is a bit of a no. My answer you ask… the women’s restroom. Now, I suffered a lot of abuse from other women when I would use public restrooms and often had security called on me and had a few purses knock me around, but the women’s restroom GENERALLY is much cleaner and better smelling than the men’s room. This is what I miss about being female.               So what is it about the men’s room that is so bad? You would think that having a hose you can aim would help all that nasty urine end up in the toilet but NO! There is more piss all over the toilets, urinals, and the FLOOR than you would ever believe. I have to clean the toilet every time I go into a men’s room because there is always something on it be it piss, dirt or otherwise…             The men’s ro

              Many transgender individuals suffer from one form of depression or another at some point during their lives. For some, it can be a life long battle. Depression is more than just being sad. Depression is a mental illness that requires treatment and can be difficult to handle alone. There are many treatment options for depression but also a lot of life struggles that come with suffering from it. As someone who has struggled with depression for many years, I know how difficult it can be to live with.             I started struggling with depression when I was about twelve years old. It was also at that time when I started getting really active in my religious activities but also started getting made fun of in school. Everyone seemed to know I was a lesbian except for me, and I struggled with being teased and harassed my entire school career. When I first started being called a dyke, among other awful names, I didn’t know what they meant. It took the first half o

I can’t help but smile every time I see an old couple. I find it tender and heartwarming watching them interact whether they are loving and holding hands or she is yelling at her husband trying to get a point across that she’s right and he is an old deaf man. How you must love someone to spend your life with them and share so many intimate moments and putting up with each other’s craziness.   I believe that love is a growing entity and that in order to grow it needs constant attention, nurturing, and paying attention to the small things. Life can be so busy and crazy and stressful but what a joy it is to have someone you trust and love to share it with. Loving someone is about so many things: staying up thinking about them and how your date went, being super cute just to hear her giggle, doing something for her just so you can see her smile, watching her when she doesn’t know you’re there because she’s just so cute when she’s concentrating on her work, playing a love song at

I took my Testosterone shot today after not having had it for a few weeks. I couldn’t believe how much it was like my first time. Not only did I get the intense high after the shot, but I mentally went back to the first shot. I had the needle in my hand and the spot on my thigh ready for the penetration…   “OMG what am I doing????”   Eh it’s going to hurt! I am seriously about to shove this needle into my thigh…”   what the fuck?!?!?”   A few minutes go by…. And a few deep sighs…. “Ok, I can do this. Come on Danny, you’ve done this a ton of times before.” “ Don’t be a pussy.” “ahhhhhh…..oh my gaaaawwwwd.”             The needle penetrated my thigh muscle and as the T started shooting into my muscles, I felt an instant high. I felt my blood pressure go down and I exhaled a sigh of relief. I couldn’t believe how amazing it felt having something shooting into my muscle. Even though it was painful, it was one of the greatest feelings in the world. Many people freak at the i

            It’s an exciting thing to start taking hormones to begin one’s journey to become the person they are meant to be. I remember going into the doctor for my first shot being super excited and nervous all at the same time. I couldn’t believe that I was finally there about to have a needle thrust into my butt cheek and begin my journey of becoming a real boy! My anxiety over the pain of the needle, however, was overdone as it didn’t hurt much; it hurt later that night because I made the mistake of going home to take a nap right on the side I got poked but other than that, it wasn’t bad at all.             I went into the doctor’s office for about three or four of my beginning testosterone shots. They do it themselves so they can monitor progress and make sure the dosage is okay. Every Trans person is different in their chemical makeup so sometimes the doctor has to adjust the dosage or even the type of testosterone given. My doctor put me on the maximum dosage, and I fe

Alarm beeps the most annoying sounds your ear could possibly hear. You get up; shower, maybe; toss something in your mouth that somewhat resembles breakfast; then drag yourself out the door to head towards the office. Exhausted and sluggish you go straight for the coffee pot to find that there is no cream, milk, or sugar… and so the day begins. Awful isn’t it? Our routine lives focused around work and our jealous alarm clock ruining our perfect relationship with our bed and soft pillows. The whole day at work we mosey along pretending to be alive and functioning at our desk. If you are lucky enough to enjoy your job, more power to you. I envy you. For the rest of us stuck in boring office jobs, we manage to get through the days by being zombie-like creatures depending on the elixir of coffee and energy drinks to keep us going. We push through our exhaustion and boring routine of our job and browse the internet, text or tweet on our phone, and try to get away with doing our own thi

Smoking is a hard habit to quit. Trust me, I’ve quit four or five times in the last five years. It seems to go okay until a stressful situation hits, and I return once again to that dirty habit that consumed my life. However, 68 days ago, I quit for good. At 24 years old and working for the State Department of Public Health Section of Nursing, I have grown to be more educated about smoking and the harm it has caused me and the potential damage that can happen. Through the last few months I have gained knowledge and done research and started monitoring my own feelings and surroundings when I get a craving for a smoke. It has been quite the eye-opener.             I started smoking at age 19 after my first partner broke up with me. I’ve come to realize that break ups or loss of friendships or other relationship losses are a HUGE trigger for me- I always reach for a cigarette and a drink because of course it’s the healthiest choice for me! NOT! Another trigger is emotional stress or