rosiesheba

Wow. Sustainable Cycles 2015 was everything I had imagined and so much more. As the only international member of the team, it felt pretty amazing to be welcomed into the United States by such incredible people, and have the privilege to ride with such a “bad-ass” bunch of women. There were so many highlights on this trip, from the warm hospitality we received the whole way, to the workshops, the food and life on the road on the other side of the world. The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research (SMCR) Conference was life changing. Never before have I felt so welcomed, needed and nurtured by a professional society. I made connections that, thanks to technology, I will be able to maintain and use in this incredibly important work in the future.

Our workshop in Philadelphia with Women Bike PHL.

Now that I’m back in Australia, apart from missing my riding team like I would miss my right arm if I lost it, I’m eager to plan the next adventure. It felt amazing seeing Sustainable Cycles grow this year, and for word to get around. The interest of people both on-line and in person, is really wonderful to see. I’m so excited to see where this project is going next, and what the following years will bring. We had quite a few people of all ages ask us how they could get involved, and if they could ride too. I’m looking forward to seeing the team grow, the message get out, and menstrual cycles get greener across the USA. I’m hoping to see the same thing happening here with my work in Sustainable Menstruation Australia. It was great seeing participants at Sustainable Cycles workshops who were there on behalf of a friend or partner who couldn’t make it. A huge part of finding sustainable solutions to menstrual health is having conversations that allow shame and fear to melt away. When we talk sustainable menstruation, we aren’t just looking at a greener planet; we’re looking at a long-term healthy view of this beautiful, wild and wonderful bodily function.

“Never Give Up” Atlanta, Georgia

One of the great things that life on the road brought was long stretches of time for thinking and creativity, away from distractions. I wrote this piece in a park, somewhere near New York, in preparation for the Menstrual Hygiene Day and SMCR Conference poetry open mic nights. It sums up my experience of Sustainable Cycles pretty well. I hope you can join us in spirit, on-line, or in person, on our next ride.

* * *

Flow.

My feet flow through each cycle. Every revolution takes me further into the cycle. Life Cycle. Bicycle. Upcycle. Recycle.

My small wheels move along the road, a mirror to the larger wheel of which I am a tiny, insignificant, and yet pivotal part. My essence is essential to the whole. The microcosm of my womb reflects the entire universe!

I look at my legs powering my bicycle across state after state. I watch as I bleed and listen to my body as my ovulation is reflected by the road. My menstrual cycle is a perfect replica of the seasons, of the stages from egg to caterpillar, to pupa, to butterfly. The Earth rotates around the sun, just as my pedals rotate around my crank shaft, and foot by foot, mile by mile, I move forward. We move forward. Propelled by our destiny as cyclists. Life Cyclists.

We cycle, and millennia of oppression melt away. We are part of something immense. Individually, we are just a tiny cog in the giant clock of evolution, but together, we can say menstruation. Period. I bleed. You bleed. We were, are and will be bleeders. Without our blood, life as we know it would not be. Cycling, together, we conquer fear. We surmount shame.

Sustainable cycles? It’s a pun about bikes and periods, but it’s so much more. Our message is clear. Love your cycle. Love the cycle. Take care of yourself, and you take care of the planet. Learn about your body, and you will be empowered.

I watch a teenage girl ride her bike through the streets of Philadelphia. Will she have knowledge of her cycle?

I see an old woman on a park bench in New Orleans. Who is learning her life lessons?

A middle aged dame in Texas tells me she doesn’t like “that word” and I wonder. Does her daughter know her – Period?

A transgender man tells of his forgotten tablets and using soft leaves to soak up his accidental summer-camp flow.

So many perspectives from so many places and we’ve only just scratched the surface. So many lessons to learn from our neighbours.

Collectively, we have a purpose.

Learn to love. Love to grow as our cycle continues. I watch a playground of children. What world can we envision for them? A world where we know our bodies? Where we can be ourselves without fear?

… a world void of hatred?

Who knows. I am but a tiny wheel on the cycle of life.

Yet one small action can trigger a revolution.

One cycle. One. Cycle.

We are in it.

Where do you want to go?

Riding the home stretch into Boston.

Rosie flew in from Australia to join Rachel and Olive in Austin, TX. Thanks, Cycleast bike shop for the awesome goods and services! Thank you, Yellow Bike for the wrenching time. Thank you Savanna and Doug for the home, haircut, and best-of-Austin bike routes. Austin, so good.

Rosie, Rachel, Olive, and Russell (Cycleast Owner)

Our workshop at the University of Texas, Austin was very successful. Thanks to the Gender and Sexuality Center for the space, snacks, and enthusiasm for reusable menstrual products. We look forward to collaborating in the future and getting updates on your new menstrual wares.

Olive and Rachel enjoy Australian style porridge (oatmeal) at our campsite in Burton

The Texas wildflowers made for a stunning ride out of Austin. We biked 70 miles to Smithville where we stayed with a kind stranger; the head of the local chamber of commerce had a trailer in her backyard—deluxe! This is Rosie’s first bike tour, and she’s keeping up well. There has been some rain and rough road conditions, but we continue to bike 60-something miles a day. Texas is full of surprises! We found Shepherd’s Sanctuary – a true respite run by a wonderful couple, Connie and Peach. They have created a small paradise in Shepherd, TX–a fully stocked kitchen, an awesome shower, and a loft bed under a giant metal roof. Rachel made a routing error and realized we wouldn’t make it to New Orleans in time for our scheduled workshops at Tulane University. We had to change our route, ride to Beaumont, and try our luck catching a ride on I-10. We were lucky. We met Joe, an extremely generous local who spontaneously decided to drive us the remaining 260 miles to Nola.

Workshop participants at Tulane University

On our first day in New Orleans we were very fortunate (again), as the rain eased up and we were able to ride to our workshops without getting wet. We gave two workshops, first at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and second at the undergraduate campus. We had fascinating discussions about reusable menstrual products and insights into the culture around menstruation in New Orleans. Many of the people we spoke with had no idea how to locate their cervixes. People, we need better reproductive education ASAP! We like to facilitate space to share important knowledge about menstruation options and body-positive familiarity, but this is education that should be institutionalized.

We will now head north as we make our way to Boston. We are excited about the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research Conference (June 4-6). You can still register. Time is flying! Also, Rosie just had an awesome article on menstruation and the 21st century published in the Royal Institution of Australia: Australia’s Science Channel blog.

Rosie and Olive get ready to head north

Author: rosiesheba

A post-ride word from “Down Under”

Update from the Southern Tier: G’day Y’all!