I've been here for a few weeks now but never did actually make my own introduction thread. I figured I'd join the party. I joined EC after lurking for a while and trying to find somewhere I could share my experiences with coming to terms with my sexual orientation and just to be part of a non-judgmental community where everyone's in the same boat (ok, maybe a few different boats) and we can all learn from and share with each other. I tried to brush away the fact that I was gay for too long, finally came to terms with it earlier this year and began the process of coming out to myself and to everyone else. Being from a small town & having a fairly old school family and group of friends, being gay was pretty hard for me to take in. It's pretty cliche but anyone struggling right now in high school or with identifying their orientation or even coming out - it does get so much better. It's definitely not going to automatically be all sunshine and happiness from the second you do it, but being true to yourself and those around you and living the life you were meant to live as opposed to a lie is a feeling like no other. With that being said, I still have bad days like everyone so I find EC a very comforting place to confide it when things temporarily turn for the worse. We're all in this together guys. Don't give up hope!