Natalie • United States • 15
I was twelve and a half when I got my first period. All of my friends got theirs earlier than me so I celebrated when I got mine. I went around school telling friends in excitement and I felt like a grown woman. I’ll always remember the date as well: 25th of January in 2011. It started on the first day of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. I remember telling my mom in excitement in the car and then hearing a report from a big news radio station in America that the revolution had started and felt my whole mood changing.
Not a lot of people associate their periods with huge historical events, but I do and also think about how grateful I am that my biggest struggle that day was needing a pad. Looking back, I have no idea why I wanted to menstruate. I think it was because I thought I was a late bloomer and that there was something wrong. But I’m glad now that my misery started later and I didn’t have to deal with endometriosis pain at a younger age.
