My dearest travel companions: the Menstrual Cup

While travelling I usually found the period unpleasant. While packing, I already counted how many I would need to avoid the uncomfortable situation, to find none if I ran out or had to resort to uncomfortable alternative options, mostly mercilessly overpriced.

Some years ago I found the solution for this miserable calculation (and if you are on the road for a long time also wasting space): the menstrual cup. Frankly, who invented this name was not interested in good marketing. The name “menstrual cup” is mercilessly hard and unbelievably repulsive.

Nevertheless, I was quickly convinced of the obvious advantages ( producing less garbage, long lifespan), but until I really bought one, it took quite a while. I decided to consume my entire stack of tampons before purchasing one. I think it took a whole year. A year of mental preparation. I write this because I can imagine that one or the other is also hesitating.

But now that I have been using my menstrual cup for one and a half years, I can say that I don’t want to miss it anymore. Not only does it save me the calculations and a lot of luggage space, it has also brought me a lot closer to my body. The disgust I often felt before using tampons did not transfer to the cup. It was interesting for me to learn how much blood I actually lose during my period and how this varies from day to day. The tampon never gave me the feeling that the blood was actually part of me, it went straight to the garbage. This is not possible with the cup and although I was afraid that I would feel a certain amount of disgust when I emptied the cup, it didn’t occur. In the end it is probably like this: the menstrual cup is only as disgusting as your body is foreign to you. And if the cup can do something that a tampon cannot do, then it is to support you in the process of getting to know yourself better.

The menstrual cup has proved to be the ideal companion for travelling, I really don’t want to miss it any more. It is small, light and practical. Besides, I don’t feel it and it is not noticeable at all.