This story is a part of the Stories She Told series. It has been modified from its original version. View the original version on Instagram.
This International Women’s Day, I’m thinkin about standing up on a mountain in the sun while I washed and waited for my bloody zipoffs to dry #justgirlythings
While hiking in Colorado, I felt the familiar twang in my abdomen signaling the arrival of my period. It was a perfect fall day: the brush was a gorgeous rust color and the lakes were crystally blue. I was feelin cute and adventurous and giddy to be up in the mountains. I had no interest in dealing with the mess, cramps, and the flashes.
If I had a dollar for every time I got my period while hiking I would have like… a few dollars (not enough to cover that pay gap amirite ladiez?). So I’ve learned to pack my menstrual cup and advil if I head into the woods.
I was wearing my finest pair of zipoffs which, though light-colored, are easy to wash and quick to dry, so once I reached the highest point on the trail, I took them off, rinsed them in the lake, and lay them in the sun, hoping that no one would stumble upon me eating my lunch pantsless by the lake.
I’m sitting there, thinkin “I’m just a lady tryin to love my body even though I feel like it’s out to get me” and “UGH I hope I don’t get indigestion” when I have this gorg moment of clarity:
Actually, I don’t feel awful.
In fact… I was feeling surprisingly glowy, and I suddenly felt like this nature goddess who didn’t hate herself! It was like the sun shining on my stomach had charged me up and like radiating epic feminine energy. So I did what any goddess would and celebrated with a lil photoshoot.
Seriously though, I know that menstruation ≠ woman, but it’s time we destigmatize period talk. This monthly ritual has been a defining aspect of my experience as a woman for 12 years and it sucks to feel ashamed for what my body does (I’m working on it though)!
Also if you are a human who has gotten their period while in nature and wanna laugh about it with me (or wanna learn how to deal with it in the backcountry because it can be stressful), plz hmu because it is a beautiful, frustrating, VERY COMMON thing.
Ok yay women! Don’t let the patriarchy get ya down or whatever. xoxo
