How long did it take you to reach authentic life?

I'm still a work in progress after a few years of working on it. I'm not 100% sure what my end goal is, so I'm just taking things little by little.

 

I'm 46 now and admitted to myself I'm gay earlier this year. Since then, I've been active on this site, have been attending in person a gay support group and getting close to telling a close friend I'm gay. Seems like the train took a long time to get up to speed but now it is running on the tracks very quickly.

 

I came out february 2018, leaving my wife November of the same year. I'd say I'm still on a journey and don't know what the future me will be. I've gone from coming out bisexual to being openly gay to everyone. I lost weight, did some exercise, bought tighter clothes, cut my hair short and have a love for caps and hats. Ive had a three month relationship, some hookups which I'm not proud of. But at 44 I still have a sex drive. I've been regularly to my local sti clinic. I now feel more confident and can start conversations with guys at the local only gay pub, have more friends and feel ok to flirt a bit.
I'm quite a masculine guy but I let my feminine traits show through. I've learned alot about my sexuality and what I like to get up to with a guy, but again that's still work in progress.
But all in all I still feel like I'm not quite there fully with regard to being 100 percent authentic.

 

This is the first year I'm out at all in my professional life, which was the last frontier for me. Started the coming out process in 2013/2014

 

I think I'm still acheiving that. While I figured out I was bisexual about three years ago, and have been authentic to myself, I am not widely out so I'm not my authentic self to the world, save for like three or four people.

 

28 years, no kidding. I really started living fully two years ago.