Another arctic adventure!

So what happened on that Norwegian flight back in January ? or to be more precise, before boarding ?

The day before

Just like the previous time I was in Tromsø I was there to witness the magical northern lights. I can only say that if you have some spare time, do it. you won't regret it. It's maaaaaaaagic!!!! (eyes go ooeehr)

I had a slight issue with my suitcase lagging behind me big time. Because it stayed behind in Amsterdam while I was flying to the Arctic regions. Eventually the stuff finally did arrive one and a half day late.

That for it's own sake a bit to heavy suitcase contained some other stuff.

After a shower and a fresh change of clothes and pretty much everything else it was time to look around town.

It happened to be that I was there in the same week as the Nordlys Festivalen, that is northern lights festival for the attentive reader, and it is celebrated by performing World-class opera, jazz, chamber music, audiovisual art, symphonic concerts, choir, dance and much more. Perfect hang out for a girl like me. So I trotted over to tourist information for some tickets. uh oh, they didn't got that there, had to go to the city cinema for that. Bought a couple of fridge magnets there though!
After a quick walk I arrived at the cinema, it wasn't that busy and there where only a couple of people ahead in my line. Got back and killed some time in the hotel and then headed out to a nearby pizza restaurant for an Arctic pizza, yay!

Lots of people there, placed my order and found a snug place near the stairs where I could look outside and also had a view of the place itself. The pizza was delicious and on my way I was to Polaria where the performance would take place.

Got there, left the coat at the wardrobe and found myself a seat. The performance was quite contemporary but I also learned that Gargamels leitmotif in the Smurfs is actually Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov. I loved the whole thing!

Polaria is an exhibition hall of everything arctic. I had a good look around in the break. I couldn't help noticing that some people where trying to place me. At the end of the concert I bought some more souvenirs and walked back to the hotel. I called it a day after taking some pictures outside and went to the hotel bar to surf the intarwebz and have the local beer (Mack) that is just brewed around the corner, nomnomnom!

The day of leaving

I got up, took a royal shower and got dressed. I decided to leave out the legging for under my jegging. It didn't feel that cold and I didn't want to be burdened by it while spending hours in areas at living room temperature for the rest of the day.

I packed my belongings before going for breakfast. That was actually the most disconcerting moment of the day. I packed my boystuff, a thing that never happened before. Breakfast was lovely, slightly crowded but not too many glances in my general direction. Just like the evening before, when I was in the hotel bar sipping a beer.

Checked out of the hotel without any problem and left my luggage at their store room. I still had half a day to spent there and I thought it would be pretty cool to see the whole town from Storsteinen which can be easily reached by the cable car. I was glad that I brought along stylish but sensible boots as it was quite a walk from the hotel but I enjoyed it. There where some other tourists around and we patiently waited for the cable car to arrive. It was quite windy on top and I was glad I had a hood on my jacket. I asked a couple of tourists whether they'd like to take a picture of me with the town in the background. After chilling out there I went inside for a cup of omnomnomnom hot choco!

 And so it got time to go to the airport for the flight back home. Back at the hotel I got my stuff and noticed my feet where aching a bit so I put a preventive blister patch on top of the spot. I also switched my boots for my ankle boots.

I thanked the bus driver for the ride and checked in my luggage. all self service, scan your passport etc. and off I was to the security check (slightly nervous, as always) where only my heels would set off the alarms. While waiting for the gate to be opened I enjoyed my apple. The flight went without incident, I shared my row with another girl and we had put our handbags in the center seat.

At Oslo Gardermoen I literally made it to the gate head over heels, half an hour lay over time is definitely not enough!!! The kind stewardess said that I had almost extended my stay in Norway a while longer. I replied that I would have loved that, but not under these involuntary circumstances :)

When we got back in Amsterdam she gave me a friendly pat on the shoulder and we said goodbye. Again had to walk a mile from the gate to the luggage belts (damn you budget flights :P). It was only on the train heading back home that I got quizzed about the not matching looks on the public transport card (again :P) that we need to use in the Netherlands. "That is not my husband, that is my other head" resolved everything quick and easy and the conductor perfectly understood :)

Reasoning

It is difficult to describe actually. Maybe it is worthwhile to have a critical look at the motivation before diving into the subject of transgender flying.

So why did I do it ? I can come up with a couple of things like curiosity, the tranquility that descends on me, but the most important of all is just because I can and that it is a part of me. Of course this is something that has matured through all these years. You could say it is part of the tranny arms race: "Look what I dare!", trying to call each others bluff. 1st prize in the passability contest... If you're doing it for that reason alone, you're doing it wrong. I think passing border control and security checks in a radical different looking identity should not be taken lighthearted. One should be confident in your transgender identity. On the other hand, long before I had access to all those internet resources I ventured out to try these things. so it was bound to happen anyway.

Preparation

You're still with me ? good, because this is where the fun starts :)

I had already figured out a couple of things. I should not provide a false identity, that is punishable by law. Looking a bit different from your passport photo shouldn't. I could have grown a beard (eewww) or gone bald (eeewww), started to wear glasses etc etc.

And because I am not the first part-time (or transitioned) person to fly, there is a protocol outlined: This blog post has more information about that:. It basically boils down to: You are being treated as the perceived gender. Given that there is a protocol in place as I am not the first transgender girl flying, I also decided I should not break the news unless asked for. At point blank range it should be clearly visible it is not my born gender and I'm still identifying with the name that is in my passport.

As a failsafe mechanism I stored some pictures showing my transformation process from girl back to the person on the passport, might I be challenged to prove my identity. I knew from previous encounters (checking in a hotel, public transport) that people think I am using "my husbands" pass(port). Secretly I just have to snicker about that :)

Act normally, be yourself, have confidence. It has nothing to do with a dare, but you should be a bit brave. Good luck!