Gwensday

By Trish White

Four years ago, I joined 3 Trans Social groups Gurls in the Burbs and Cornbury Society both in Vancouver and The Wine Country Girls in Kelowna. Through the Gurls in the Burbs I found out that one girl in particular even lived in my hometown and her name was Gwen Richardson. I was totally surprised one day while I was checking emails, I saw one from Gwen and I didn’t have a clue who this person was or what she wanted. I was just going to delete it but curiosity got the better of me and I read her email and this was one email that changed my life. Not like “the open letter to the wives of Crossdressers” did but in a totally different way.

She proceeded to introduce herself and asked if I lived in Kamloops and was I the Trish from Gurls in the Burbs so now I was really curious. I told her yes that I was that Trish, why do you ask? She said to me “oh, great, I live in Kamloops as well. Would you like to meet me for coffee Wednesday Morning at Starbucks.”  So, I said sure that would be great, but I can’t meet you as Trish I’ll need to come in guy mode. I can’t remember why I couldn’t, but Gwen said that’s fine I still want to meet you. So, I said great, I’ll see you on Wednesday.

The next day I drove to Starbucks and there she was sitting by the window on her computer. I walked up to her and introduced myself, I was pretty excited as this was the first time I had ever met another Crossdresser and very pretty one to boot. She stood up and I threw my arms around her giving her a big hug and in my haste, I managed to knock one of her earrings to the floor and of course being a gentleman, I picked it up and handed to her. She was and is very pretty and very well dressed and a fashionista like you Kandi.  So we sat and talked for a long time and I found that she was the type of person that you end up liking almost immediately. 

As we talked she told me about herself, that she lived in Pinantan Lake which was about a half hour outside of Kamloops, was married and that she came to town every Wednesday to do her weekly running around and getting all her errands done. Then proceeded to ask me if the next week would I want to go with her, as Trish of course. So with that invitation from my new friend, I was all over it and it was a long 7 day wait. I was so excited both because I had met my first girlfriend face to face as well as the fact that in a week, I was going to go out shopping with her. I must have had a smile on my face, no I did have that smile on for the whole week. But I didn’t know what I was in for.

So my first ‘Gwensday’ arrived and I was up at 5:30 had a bath, got dressed and put on my make up and was out the door heading to Starbucks. I felt like a child on Christmas morning. I arrived at Starbucks walked in and there was my new girlfriend, well dressed in a gorgeous flowing midi dress and looking as pretty as I remembered.  She was working on her lap top as I walked up to her table. She looked up and saw me and stood up and we both hugged each other.  

Then went and got my morning coffee and sat back down. And we started talking with me mostly listening as Gwen filled me in on the days itinerary. We were first going to the mall to a grocery store there, and then probably go shopping at her favourite ladies wear stores Cleo and Ricki’s. She introduced me to the staff in both places and after checking out the dresses etc. in both and trying some on she said ok next I need to pick up some stuff at Costco and after that I need to drop the recycles off and then we’re going to Walmart to pick up some more groceries, I found out that it was her go to grocery store.

So after we were done at Walmart she said great, we’re done just in time to meet my friends at the Fox and Hounds pub for happy hour. Hearing that I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. My feet were sore, I was tired, and I was hungry and couldn’t wait to get there. As we walked into the pub and headed to the bar there were already three ladies sitting there, an elderly lady and two other ladies about our age as well as a couple of guys. And of course Gwen knew them all. 

Gwen introduced me to them along with Nikki the bar tender and it was hugs all around. We all sat, and I finally ordered my long-awaited glass of wine and it tasted soooo good!!! We got to the pub around 2:30 and spent another 3 hours talking as I got to know all Gwen’s friends. They were all so friendly and outgoing and it just made this first Gwensday something very special to me an continues to be each and every time we’re out together.

As the weeks and months went by more girls joined us for happy hour the latest one was another Kamloops Girl friend that I met from joining the Cornbury society. She was the president for a long time and I found out has houses in both Kamloops and Langley in the lower mainland. So anytime I went to a Cornbury Society dinner I was able to stay at her condo in Langley which saved me some money and helped with the gas. She is a fully transitioned girl. When I look back at the girls in our happy hour group it dawned on me that we are a very inclusive group including Cis girls, crossdressers and Trans girls as well as Gwens boyfriends as she call them. all this I think is pretty darn cool. I should also throw here that being in Canada with how many places we go to, what we do in the three years that I have been a part of Gwensday we have never had any weird looks, condescending remarks or rudeness from anyone. All we get is acceptance and inclusion. How wonderful is that? So, to end the saga of Gwensday I just wanted to say if any of you are heading through Kamloops, please make sure it’s on a Wednesday so you too can join us for happy hour.

Our love to you all,

Trish and Gwen