I am 2.0

This is not a story about coming out, although so many people want it to be. My story is about how my life changed quickly and unexpectedly and how I navigated through it. I arrived in Atlanta with a husband, seven dogs, no tattoos, and an absolute disgust for beer. After just a couple of years, I was in a relationship with a woman, had a cat, several tattoos, and a love for a cold wheat ale. I had a new job that afforded me unique opportunities and created a new lifestyle expectation. I leaned into a life that made me rethink who I am and what I want from this one life.

Although my sexuality is a huge part of this story, and one that I don’t mind addressing in detail, my life is so much more than just a story about two women who fell in love. My evolution involves my whole self. At age 41, I took a leap of faith without knowing what was ahead. I was optimistic, excited, and all in for this life-altering decision. And no matter how much I dreamed about my new life, I never could have expected all that would come my way.

Of the mottos I’ve carried with me, one has guided me most: I only regret the things I don’t do. So much so that I had it permanently inked on the inside of my upper right arm in German: Ich bereue nur das, was ich nicht tue. It reminds me not to stand in my own way, not to let fear or doubt keep me from saying yes.

This book is about the consequences of saying yes — the opportunities seized, the risks taken, the mistakes made, and the reinventions that followed. It’s about transformation in all its forms, and what it means to build “Jennifer 2.0."