Five Years

My boss treated myself and a number of coworkers to lunch today in order to celebrate my five years with the company (which also basically marks my five years in the Bay Area). Only one other person in our celebration had been there longer than myself, with one of the others starting just a few weeks after me.

Five years. It sounds like a long time, and yet, it seems so short. I’ve been here 1/7th of my life...a life that has changed so much in that amount of time. Back then, I had short hair, no chest, was plenty hairy, and was still living as a guy. Oh, I also had the male equipment. Now, the facial hair is pretty much gone, my hair is long, I have recently enlarged breasts, my body hair is minimal compared to what it was, and I’ve been living as a woman for the past two years...almost a year with girl equipment.

Five years ago...I wasn’t dating anyone, nor even considering the possibility of dating. Now I am.

Five years ago, I wasn’t quite sure where I was going in my career, but it held promise moving into the biotech field. Now, I’m still trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up.

Five years ago, I was starting to ramp down on racing. My triathlon career, although seasonal, basically stopped. I still rode my bicycle for about two years after moving here, but when things started growing and I still had Junior to hide, I basically decided to halt any rides. I still continue to run...something that has been my stress relief for the past 22 years.

Five years ago, a radio station started up that played music I liked. We both arrived in the Bay Area around the same time. On New Years Day, it disappeared...replaced by romantic Spanish songs...apparently the decision by higher-ups. The radio station, KARA, disappeared a few years ago, as well. I was going to use it as a way to say my name properly since it’s rhyming nickname was ‘KARA in Santa Clara’. Anyway, I mentioned the disappearance of my favorite radio station to a friend, who hinted that maybe it was a sign to move on...in whichever direction I chose. Perhaps it is, or perhaps it is just an opportunity for me to reflect on which direction I want to go.