September Monthly Friend: Olivia

September Monthly Friend: Olivia F.

Name: Olivia
Age: 23
Hometown: Greensboro, NC
Current location: Pittsburgh, PA
Occupation: Case manager/social work grad student

Interests: Social justice, cooking, gardening, adventures
Dreams: Change daily.  I like being happy and I like living in a way that allows other people to be happy as well.

How long have you used reusable menstrual products?: Four or five years.
Reason for making the switch to reusables: It seemed environmentally sound and I was sick of having to go to the store monthly to feed large corporations and landfills. And I never found conventional menstrual products very comfortable.  I first started hearing the buzz in a women's health class and then there was a community stitch 'n bitch that included someone providing some pointers on making pads. When I was traveling and my period started unexpectedly, I was thrilled to realize that they could also be purchased!

Funny anecdotes, deep thoughts, or anything else you’d like to share: When I first made the switch, I was visiting my boyfriend.  I had mentioned to him that I was going to try them and he thought it was a bit odd.  When I got to his apartment for a visit, I put a stack of homemade pads on his bathroom shelf.  We had friends over for his birthday and we had finished a good bit of wine over dinner.  He returned from the bathroom with my brand new pads on his hands, using them as puppets.  Another female guest recognized what they were, and we had a good laugh.