u/Playful-Revenue-7794

Hey everyone! I'm travelling from out of town to go to ATG DC on Friday because I couldn't pass up the opportunity to possibly (depending on set times) see Ethel Cain, Slayyyter, Mag Bay, Mitski, AND Ninajirachi all in the same day. They are seriously some of my favorite artists. The problem is that I need to get to Union Station right after the concert. What would be the best way to get there (uber, metro, etc)??

I already have my ticket to the festival and I HAVE TO go, but I just need to figure out how I'm getting home. Any adivce is welcome!!

For context, I am 18, and I've know that I am trans since I was 11 or 12. I'm out to three people:

1. The first trans person I ever met in middle school, whom I told via insta DM after middle school graduation when we were 13ish. We're not close at all.
2. A semi-close trans friend who kinda figured me out so we never had a direct conversation/coming out but he knows
3. A close (cis) friend who I told over text and either she's really respecting my request to not make a big deal about it (she still genders me in a feminine manner even when we're alone/texting), she forgot I told her, or she thinks I changed my mind.

And here's the thing: I'm not even good at keeping this secret. I was the GSA leader for years and said I used "any pronouns," I talk about dysphoria-like feelings with my friends but they just think I'm a super insecure girl, and before I graduated highschool I even had an aquaintance 2 years younger than me ask "No seriously though, what are you? You sure you're not like trans or nonbinary?" on MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.

During highschool I was "out" as queer at school and closeted and home (homo/transphobic parents), but I just couldn't bring myself to come out to anyone as trans because I thought it'd be too painful to be fully out as trans at school but not at home. But now I've graduated and I want to tell my friends before going to college but I find that I just can't.

My friends are amazing and I know they'd support me but I just can't bring myself to tell them. I literally went on an 18 mile walk with my (cis, queer) best friend who I KNOW would be supportive and I couldn't bring myself to tell her. How do people do this?? I know upbringing and traumatic experiences related to queerphobia are huge factors in our lives as trans people, but I just feel like I'm being so irrational. I know my friends would support me and my parents have looked at me like I was a freak for as long as I can remember, even moreso since I shaved my head recently. I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never have their acceptance. I was never close with my parents anyways. I don't care to come out to them. I just hate that my experiences at home have fucked up my ability to share my truth with my friends who actually love me.

Is GradGuard necessary? Do students have experiences with their things getting destroyed becasue of flooding/fire alarm sprinklers/etc?