Hi KittyG and welcome!

In my community, trans just means that you are not the gender you were assigned on at birth.

This makes it easier to cover many experiences of being trans, like feeling trapped inside a wrong body or not, thinking of oneself as another gender only after hrt or not, etc

You say you always "wanted to be" a girl. Than it's great that you have ressources to HRT! For me you are not more or less trans then someone who says "I alwas was" a girl.

I'm happy for you that you are happier than ever and are able to live a life you allways wanted. I wish you luck and great people on your way! <3