We’re excited to share an open letter to Diva from recent university graduate, Alanna. Alanna is currently planning a six-month solo-backpacking trip to New Zealand. Since discovering the DivaCup, she has been a passionate advocate of our product, constantly recommending it to friends, family and even strangers. Continue reading to learn why.
Dear Makers of the DivaCup,
I just wanted to express how happy I am to have found your amazing product. I first found out about the DivaCup almost a year ago. My roommate burst into our room and exclaimed, “I am so excited to get my period!” Confused, I inquired as to why she was so excited, and she began telling me about the DivaCup. Reusable? Environmentally friendly? Economic? Waste- and chemical-free?
I had discovered the Holy Grail.
I went out and bought one that same day, and quickly became an advocate for the DivaCup. This product was revolutionary! It was so incredibly liberating. I am a very outdoorsy, active person, and I do a lot of trekking, backpacking, camping, and travelling. The DivaCup is an absolute Godsend in part because it is so small and light, and much less cumbersome than a huge box of tampons. But also because sometimes, when travelling in other countries, it is difficult to find feminine hygiene products, and if you do find them, they are ridiculously expensive because store owners know you need them and will pay the high price. The DivaCup avoids all of this.
When on the move, I protect my DivaCup like it’s my passport.
I also talk about the DivaCup to whoever will listen to me, and even sometimes when they don’t want to listen. How could you not want to hear about my revolutionary menstrual cup? I am always shocked and slightly alarmed when I learned how few people know about the DivaCup.
For instance, I went to a gynecologist for the first time a couple months ago and just happened to be wearing my DivaCup. She asked what this thing inside me was. “What? You don’t know?” I asked, genuinely surprised. I felt it was her job to be aware of alternatives to conventional feminine hygiene products. As a courtesy, I launched into an enthusiastic explanation of what the DivaCup was and why it was so awesome. She brushed it off like I was some silly, hippy teenager indulging in a passing fad.
I got a new gynecologist.
Just a couple of weeks ago I came back home to Toronto from Vancouver (where I study). I connected with some old friends as well as my mother and sister, none of whom had ever heard of the DivaCup! I decided that the DivaCup would make an excellent Christmas gift. I roved around Toronto looking in all the drugs stores but couldn’t find it anywhere (seriously, more stores need to get on this).
Finally I found the DivaCup at Mountain Equipment Co-op, an outdoor recreational store. I literally cleaned them out, sweeping the 5 or 6 boxes into my shopping cart. I got to the checkout and the girl at the counter kind of looked at me funny. “Aren’t these things great?” I said. “I just don’t know why we would carry them here.” She replied. I sort of just stared at her. She began putting my stuff into plastic bags. “No, no, I don’t need a bag.” I said with maybe a little too much ‘excuse me while I save the environment’ self- righteousness. And I walked out into the cold Toronto streets, my arms filled with menstrual cups, and my head held high.
Mountain Equipment Co-op is exactly the kind of place where I would expect to find the DivaCup. It is this sort of store where their target audience would shop – traveling, extreme sports, outdoor sports, camping.
Maybe it is the pretty purple packaging and the name “Diva” that throws some people off. At first I honestly wasn’t a huge fan of the name “DivaCup” because, these days, the word “Diva” has a negative connotation. I always thought a more appropriate name would be Strong-Independent-Woman-Cup, or something. However, I did feel a little better when I realized “Diva” could be turned into a witty reverse palindrome: Avid Diva (marketing slogan perhaps?).
Anyway, what I am trying to say is thank you for this incredible product. I’m traveling to New Zealand for six months after Christmas. Rest assured, I’ll be packing along my DivaCup.
An Avid Diva
Alanna recently graduated from university with a major in neuroscience. She is now taking a break from her academic endeavors to spend some time exploring the world, and to determine her place in it. She is planning a six-month solo-backpacking trip to New Zealand where she plans to horseback ride and hike – her two favourite activities.
