The original post is two years old, but here's my reply in case this person is still considering it, or if others have a similar question.
I transitioned just over 10 years ago (female to male). I *very* strongly recommend connecting with a local trans support group so you can meet other people who are going/have gone through the process. This will give you a support system of people who "get it" and will also be a place to ask questions. (A lot of groups are meeting online now due to COVID.) I also strongly recommend finding a therapist or licensed social worker who has experience working with trans people. They will help you explore your feelings and decide what is the right course for you. These will be much better sources of information for you than a forum on a kink website.
@SwitchableSusie is asking reasonable questions. You don't have to answer them here to all of us, but they are good ones to think about. A support group and an experienced therapist will also help with this.
Based on your last sentence, it sounds like part of the process for you will be acknowledging and accepting that you will never leave behind who and what you are now -- there is no way to change genetically (personally I don't think that matters one bit, but you mentioned it, so there it is) -- and nothing will change the fact that you spent your life up to this point presenting as a man. But that doesn't mean that you can't live a life that you want (or pretty close) going forward as a woman if that's what you choose. An important part of the preparation is getting your expectations to line up with what is actually possible. If you want to completely erase your past, you'll probably never be happy. It's best when people's pre-transition and post-transition selves are fully integrated.
As far as what to expect: socially it's different for everyone, and depends on what your relationships are like, and what kind of people you're surrounded by. Physically, you can answer that with a Google search, and in the support group that I hope you'll seek out. I was/am fortunate in that I was young, healthy, and had pretty solid relationships with family and friends, so my transition was smoother than many people's. But even in the best of cases, transition is not for the faint-of-heart, which is where the support I mentioned above comes in.
Feel free to PM me if you'd like to talk further.