Gender nonconforming vs transsexual/transgendered

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Sorry in advance if this is a rude topic.
I'm trying to wrap my head around what it's like to be trans.
I've read quite a few articles by people who are, and one thing they almost always mention is preferring activities that are associated with the opposite sex, being deeply uncomfortable with the appearance/behavioural expectations placed on their sex, and feeling more comfortable around/relating better to members of the opposite sex.
These things are a good description of me and a lot of the people I associate with. However, only one of the people that I know is transgendered that I know of. So I'm guessing that there has to be something else to it. If anyone could tell me what the "something else" is like for them, I would appreciate it.

I don't think your question is rude at all. Being trans is one of those things that's quite difficult to describe to people who haven't experienced it (much like trying to explain what being autistic feels like to a neurotypical person). Also, everyone's different, so different trans people will probably offer different explanations of what the "something" is. I don't mind telling you my own experience, though (I transitioned from female to male a number of years ago).

While the things you listed are common to the experience of trans people, there is a lot more to gender dysphoria. The internal identity and view of self is of a person of the opposite sex to the physical body and so there is a strong sense of incongruence with the physical body which is extremely uncomfortable. This discomfort is persistent and difficult to alleviate, and there is often also grief around the desired social role (for example, someone who wants to be a wife and mother and be able to bear children, and whose internal experience of their sexuality is as a woman, but is biologically male). Also, it's extremely difficult to describe, but it feels very different to inhabit a body which runs on testosterone as opposed to estrogen and vice versa - the basic mental and emotional experience of life is different and usually when a trans person is able to go on hormone replacement they feel immediately more comfortable and at home in themselves. It's sort of like having a car which is supposed to run on unleaded petrol but somebody insisted on putting diesel in it and making the whole system wonky... if that metaphor makes any sense! Personally, I never cared much about social roles and expectations and I'm not even particularly masculine, but I had a strong need to feel at home in myself and transitioning achieved that for me. I've noticed that other autistic trans people are usually the same - less focused on the outer things (like surgeries and the social response of others to gender) and more on their inner experience of themselves. Neurotypical trans people seem to experience transgenderism a bit differently.

It's very common for people with ASDs to be somewhat gender incongruent and it's very understandable that there are many people like yourself who are kind of gender neutral or leaning a little toward the opposite gender role. I can also understand why someone who is comfortable in that configuration might find it a bit difficult to imagine what it's like to have gender dysphoria, and it's great that you are looking to understand it better.

Ugh. The moment I'm able to transition I'm takin' It! I don't really, HATE my body though I always feel like it should have been male. But I don't hate myself for it, I didn't have control over what body I was born in, why should I hate myself? However, I DESPISE my female social role. I. Can't. Stand. It. It'll be a new journey but hands down I just can't live like a girl.

Appearings what is it. Is it what you see in the mirror. Or is it something much more. Like what you see in your mind about yourself is right. Or is it imagination. Who can tell you. That want you see is right or is it the illusion. You want them to see! Its a question. I asked alot of times!

Jinks covered most of what I wanted to say. There is a big difference between feeling dysphoric about ones social gender role due to not matching the stereotypes expected with it and feeling dysphoric about ones assigned gender because of feeling that one is something else. I think it is hard to explain it somebody that hasn't experienced it how gendered terminology can feel so wrong when incorrectly applied to onesself even when separated from any expectations about gendered behaviour. I've been out as trans for several years but still have no explanation for why I feel the way I do. I've talked to a couple of more butch/masculine trans women who have actually said they fitted in ok in male social role but the sense of not being male (and also body dysphoria) meant that they needed to transition.

There are people though whose primary motivation for transition is related to gender roles and being able to express themselves without negative repercussions. On the other hand there are very masculine female assigned at birth people whose identity is very solidly female and would never want to transition. I think what motivates decisions to transition physically and/or socially (and to what degree) is a complex balance of multiple factors for everyone.

How I do it to see what it's like is imagining myself trying to be a man, I have a man's body I had transitioned too but I will still be me on the inside. My interests and likes would still be the same and what if I was forced to change my wardrobe and had to use mens restrooms now? I don't think I would mind using mens restrooms so I can't understand why its an issue for trans to use womens restrooms or mens restrooms when they feel like the opposite gender. What if I could not watch a movie anymore or read a book or have something because it's too girly? That is how trans feel if they can't have girl things or boy things or wear the clothes that are the opposite of their bio gender.