If there's one thing my transition has taught me, it's that the road to finding and asserting your true self is anything but a walk in the park. the mockery and the sideways glances, the outright discrimination, and the personal moments of doubt and awkwardness, they're all part of the package. And if you're thinking this sounds rough, you're right. Transitioning isn't for the faint-hearted. It's for warriors. It's for those of us who've decided that the pain of remaining a bud is far worse than the pain of blooming.