My coming out journey had a few detours because I was raised in an ultra conservative, religious-right, military household. I learned to ignore any “inappropriate” thoughts or feelings I might have felt regarding other girls.

I followed the “correct” path– dating around to find a suitable husband and eventually getting married. My ever-present attraction to women, however, continued to grow and “eat” at me despite my best attempts to ignore it.

Along with an attraction to women, I felt a growing curiosity towards the lesbian lifestyle in general. Too ashamed to do any research myself, I asked my husband to buy me issues of the lesbian magazines under the guise that I was really only interested in the music reviews (Ha!) and I didn’t want to be seen buying the magazine for fear someone might actually think I was lesbian (gasp!). I gave equally lame excuses to explain my interest in watching “The L word”, buying tickets to every Indigo Girls concert in a 3-state area ( to be in the midst of all those lovely ladies? Heaven!) and even when sending away for  info on Michfest (what?! I might like to learn to camp….with 3,000 naked women). Yet, even with all those glaring red flags, I tried to convince myself that it was nothing more than natural curiosity. And I did a fairly good job until I met Penny (yes, Dr. Penny of the Ask Annabelle section!)

Long story short (ish), meeting Penny literally changed my life. In what seemed like seconds, I instantly knew *this* was where I was meant to be in life and *she* was the one with whom I was meant to travel. It wasn’t a perfectly smooth road to get where we are (as a couple), and as a result, my relationship with my ultra-religious parents is quite strained, but to be honest, it was headed that way long before Penny came into the picture. Overall, I would have to say “coming-out” was much easier than I ever anticipated. All the people I considered “true-blue” in my life continued to be and virtually all of my friends and other family have welcomed Penny with open arms. Likewise, I gained an unbelievably loving and amazing family with Penny’s parents and relatives. Additionally, we have built an entire community of friends that have been extraordinarily supportive of both of us.  I am so truly blessed and overflowing with gratitude for all the love and blessings Penny being in my life has brought me. And as we embark on the journey to parenthood, I can’t imagine having anyone else by my side.

I would have never, in a million years, predicted my life would turn out this way, but that’s been half the fun, watching my “Happily Ever After” unfold right in front of my very eyes.