This summer marks the 10 year anniversary of the last district convention ... the last anything I attended. I left quietly, and it was hard since my entire family was (and is) still very actively involved. I was in my early 20s. They wouldn't talk to me for a while, and I thought it was forever. Slowly, things got better and we have a pretty good relationship ... for me being the black sheep of the family. By the skin of my teeth, I have avoided being DF'd or DA'd. I don't know why the elders finally decided to leave me alone, and I don't really care!
Every now and then, a couple of old ladies will still show up on my doorstep to invite me to the "special talk" or my mother will give me an invitation to the memorial and tell me that she thinks I "really would like the people in her new congregation." I always smile and am polite. I thank them for the invitation, and politely tell them that I am STILL not interested. They never ask why, and for that I am glad!
It was not an easy journey, but I am at peace with where I am in my life, and am grateful that my family is more reasonable about ne leaving than I thought they would be. Early on, my mother would try to talk to me about why I left and why I should come back. These conversations, of course, never went well, and would usually end up with us not speaking for a while. It's strange because ... over time ... we all silently came to a mutual understanding. They accept me being out ... I accept them being in ... and we don't talk about it. It works well! They have finally accepted that I am not an evil apostate that will try to persuade them or my neices and nephews to leave.
So .... I have many thank yous for the folks who have helped me along the way. When I first left, I started searching for help at Timothy Campbell's forums. They no longer exist, but I want to thank Timothy and the people over there that helped through a tough time. My thanks goes to this forum also. While I am not an active poster, I still peek my head in once in while. It helps me understand why my family is recently acting so weird, and it helps remind me of all the reasons I left. I won't mention anyone by name or "handle", but if you remember me, please say hi! On Tim's boards, my username was "iwannaleave" (I know ... so original!) My real name is Karen.
I truly regret losing contact with all the great people online that have helped me along the way ... many I have even met in person. But I hit a point along the way where I realized that I did not what being an "ex-jw" define me, and I felt like that was what was happening. I didn't handle it right. My solution was to completely stop contact with all of these "ex-jw's" and online and off. It was what I needed at the time, but I still regret it. I sometimes wonder if people thought I went back to the witnesses! I didn't ... I was just trying to be "normal".
And now for some completely unsolicited advice for folks in my similar situation trying to leave (from my point of view):
* "Courage doesn't always roar" - Don't let anyone make you think you need to leave in some glorious, dramatic way. Sometimes the drama is unavoidable, but if you can avoid it, there is nothing wrong with leaving slowly and quietly. And there is no shame in closing your blinds and hiding in your bedroom until the elders leave your doorstep! 
* You don't have to try everything you were never allowed to do. If seems to me that those of us that were raised as a witness were like a spring being held down by a tight thumb. When we leave, the thumb comes off and the spring flies in every direction because ... it can! Release the spring slowly and don't try everything at one. And some things ... don't try at all!
* You can't save your family. They have to save themselves. The more you try to convince them they are wrong, the more that their paranoia is fed about you being an evil apostate being controlled by Satan. You have to accept them being "in", if you have any hope of them accepting you for being "out". They will leave when they're ready ... and no, they may not ever be ready.
* You will fear God, you will hate God, you will believe there is no God. Don't rush trying to figure it out. Many times, I have shelved the issue and just tried to enjoy living! In time, you will come to terms with what you want to believe or not believe. It is OKAY to sleep on Saturday AND Sunday. Enjoy it!
* Stay away from religions for awhile. If any of the others get a whiff that you want to leave, they will try to "save you" and before you know it, you will be involved in another witness-like religion and not even realize it.
* You will probably become completely consumed with the "ex-JW' world". It will help you! You will find out the history of the Watchtower and research things you were never allowed before. You will meet people in the same boat as you who will bring you back from the edge. My warning is ... don't let it define you. At some point ... move on. It doesn't mean you can't come back and visit and I don't think it means you have to lose contact with people (like I did), but being constantly consumed with ex-JW forums and only having ex-JW friends is not healthy.
* If you ever choose to attend an apostafest ,,, they are great! But there will be at least one crazy person there that will act so bizarre that you will wonder why you ever left the witnesses. Don't let them rattle them! They were crazy in the "troof", they will be crazy out.
* It will get better! There were many times I truly felt suicidal. But 10 years from now, you will be a completely different person and will not even recognize who you are today. You will wonder why in the world you ever felt so afraid of a group of weeny little men in suits and ties!
Sincerely,
IWannaLeave / Wild Thing / Karen