Week 11, 2026: The body keeps track
A few weeks ago, I saw online discourse of women voicing irritation at how other women talk about their cycle. They said it was so obviously exaggerated because they never felt any difference during the four phases. I didn’t realize it was still lingering on my mind until my morning run earlier this week, when I was in my menstrual phase and feeling more discomfort than usual. One sentence kept repeating in my head: The way I feel in my body affects how I move around the world.
But isn’t that how everyone feels? That’s what confused me about the discourse. Beyond the tired logical fallacy, it seems cruel to suspend your disbelief that somebody’s bodily changes can considerably shape their mood and by extension, the way they move around the world.
That strenuous run ended shortly after a sweet old man’s air fist bump and cheers. He was a wonderful reminder of tiny joys. Pockets of rain, stray cat pets on the shore, freeze-dried bananas covered in dark chocolate. Tiny joys because, really, it’s all good.
If you’re in the market for digital cycle-tracking, I recommend you check out Aliza Aufrichtig’s tracker. She talks about why she built it in this Recurse Center newsletter issue. It feels a little more private and autonomous compared to what’s out there. At a glance, I can see cycle lengths and projected period days. I’ve also set it up to send me an automated e-mail telling me to stop taking everything personally ten days before my period starts.
On the weekend, I explained to a hairdresser that I was in the salon against my will. Two and a half years had passed since my last haircut and I would’ve gone longer had my split ends not become a whole situation. I had recently started getting compliments on my ombre. Ombre? Girl, that’s sun damage. She did a fantastic job. My hair feels so soft now.
She told me about her time working on cruises, how she met her partner (Fortnite) (adorableness) and the state of the world. It’s only polite to small-talk politics with hairdressers and taxi drivers. Isn’t it great when people start to whisper and it’s clear they’re about to get conspiratorial? It’s possibly my favorite thing about life in the Middle East. It just doesn’t hit the same in the free world.