Oh Wow

Hi Kathleen

As a teacher, I used to lead school expeditions with an organisation called OpWall. We would take students on two-week trips to remote locations (Madagascar, Sulawesi, the Amazon, places like that) to study wildlife as part of ongoing scientific surveys. Throw in the travel at either end and we would usually be gone for 16-17 days.

Now, for the last 15 years I have been used to dressing at home every day. I get changed THE MOMENT I get back from work, and don't return to drab mode until it's time to leave again the following morning. Sixteen or seventeen days without doing that ... boy did I get withdrawal symptoms! On the flights back, becoming Ellie again was all I could think about. Once home I would virtually throw myself into the wardrobe in my hurry to get to a dress.

On the last two expeditions, knowing how urgent the need would become, I decided to tackle the problem head on and packed a couple of nighties and a few pairs of panties in my rucksack to wear in my tent at night. It definitely helped!

Hugs

Ellie x

Very similar on a trip for our grandson’s graduation in May except I was able to dress the night we got home.

Yes I do have similar experiences with family vacations, friends from out of town visiting and not a lot of dressing time. I do wear panties and a bralette daily which helps but I do miss my femme things when this happens. But on a positive note it does feel so amazing to dress up, do your makeup , slip into some pantyhose and feel yourself again.  I know I shouldn’t but at times I get kind of grumpy when I can’t express myself.

It seems like the story of my life; going somewhere to visit, work, visitors etc only to await home alone and a opportunity to dress, relax and be calm.

Uh, what kind of school gets to "take students on two-week trips to remote locations (Madagascar, Sulawesi, the Amazon, places like that)"?

I got to go on field trips, to literal "fields". Greg brought his potato homebrew under his coat. 😭😁

*Laughs* Lots of schools in the UK do this sort of thing now, and we've also shared sites with schools from the US on occasion.

With OpWall (Operation Wallacea, if you want to look them up), there's a two-year lead-in to an expedition. The teacher (me) does all the logistics of handling the payment instalments as they come in, working out costings, getting the students to the airport, running evening meetings to give advice on kit and health precautions etc etc. OpWall send a rep to the school for an evening launch meeting, sort out flights and accommodation en route and do ALL of the organisation in-country. They will also leap into action if any problems arise, which is essential since the actual locations are usually pretty remote. In Peru, it took a day and a half by boat from Iquitos to actually get to the site!

They have a fundraising team that come to the school and help the pupils raise their own money for the trip (which is why there's such a long lead-in time).

Basically, the students are there as extra bods to help with long-running scientific surveys, so while they're on site they'll take part in a whole range of different projects; mammal tracking, mist-netting of birds, night surveys for lemurs, capture/recapture of caiman, ecological surveys of forests ... all sorts of stuff. The money from the pupils funds the research.

In order we did Pacaya Samiria (Peruvian Amazon), Kruger (South Africa), Buton Island (Sulawesi), NW Madagascar and Dominica. I had another expedition planned for NE Borneo but it got hit by Covid and had to be cancelled.

They're wonderful, life changing things.

But, as I say, not many opportunities for putting on a dress.

Hugs

Ellie x

I just got back from my mothers 90th birthday party.  Almost my entire family was there and we had a great evening with the grandkids and great grandkids.  It’s a wonderful break from being alone all the time.  Still, I can enjoy my Kerri time when I’m alone and chat with all you lovely ladies.

Wow,the only field trips we went on was to the parking lot that was assigned to our grade,and then we were constantly watched  by the nuns,aka the penguins.It was a Catholic grade school .

"They’re wonderful, life changing things." Ellie

No kidding. And I want to thank you and your school for participating in and promoting this kind of experience.

I think you need a surgeon to take care of medical issues on these expeditions, I am ready, LOL

Hey Clarissa

Thankfully we never needed a surgeon! OpWall, being the amazing organisation that they are, always have a medic on site.

Over the years, the only time we've needed their assistance other than for insect bites and diarrhoea were:

1) having emerged unscathed from two weeks in the Amazon rainforest, someone managed to cut their hand on their suitcase (I'm still not sure how they did this)

2) In Sulawesi someone dropped a dive tank on their foot while getting kitted up for scuba (no serious damage, but we made a trip to the hospital in Bau Bau for an x-ray and ultrasound just in case)

3) On Dominica, someone was bitten by a donkey called Gary. He was the only donkey on the island, and up until that point had been very amiable.

Hugs

Ellie x

I know what you mean Kathleen, I am just back from a wonderful family holiday spent entirely in male mode. It is however nice spend time with others as I am widowed and live alone and in my private life I live entirely as a woman. It works well and and I am grateful.

Janet

Sophie is out for her last evening for a while as the family returns tomorrow.  I understand what you are going through.  I have enjoyed the femme time over the last several days but will strictly be in male mode for the foreseeable future.

Sophie

My sister in law visited for a week she lives out of state it sure was difficult.  Thanks to my wife being so understanding I never go an entire day without being my true self.  I could not wait to get her to the airport so life could return to normal and Diane could return to our lives.