For 58 years, Maria believed she understood who she was.

She thought she was simply someone who occasionally needed to express a different side of herself. Transition wasn't part of the plan.

Then, after the end of a long marriage, she asked herself a simple question:

"What can I do to be happy?"

The answer surprised her.

In this conversation, Maria shares the winding path that led her to transition later in life, why she spent decades believing she was "just" a cross-dresser, how one month of living as Maria changed everything, and why she says she was "suddenly happy" for the first time in her life.

We also talk about:

• Growing up without understanding what she was experiencing
• Living two very different lives
• Marriage, divorce, and moving to France
• Discovering confidence after transition
• Emotional dysphoria
• Why she chose medical transition
• Reconciling the person she used to be with the person she is today

Maria's story is unique, but its themes are universal: searching for happiness, learning to accept yourself, and discovering that it's never too late to become the person you were meant to be.

You can find the transcript at: https://spectrumpodcast.org/?p=597

If this conversation helped you better understand the transgender experience—or simply reminded you that every person has a story worth hearing—please consider liking the video, subscribing, and sharing it with someone else.

The mission of The Spectrum is simple: to humanize LGBTQ+ people by sharing honest conversations with real people.

If you'd like to share your own story on a future episode, we'd love to hear from you.