Did I Move to Spain Because of Menopause?

When I look back at my decision to move to Spain, in the middle of a global pandemic, while my kids were still in school, just a couple of years after I achieved the rank of tenured professor, it seems kind of crazy. Like midlife-crisis crazy. Or maybe hormone induced crazy? Did I move to Spain because of menopause?

What Does A Midlife Crisis Look Like for a Woman?

Whereas the classic depiction of a man going through a midlife crisis includes cherry-red sports cars and a younger woman on his arm, there isn’t a parallel image for a woman rebelling against the impending second stage of life. So, maybe I am the poster child for the menopausal midlife crisis. Walking away from a stable and rewarding professional and personal life to start all over in a different country. On paper, it does sound crazy, although more and more women of a certain age are in fact saying goodbye to the United States and hitting refresh in foreign lands.  But just because the perimenopausal brain can make a woman feel like doing crazy things, and even though I am without a doubt in the throes of perimenopause, I am certain moving to Spain wasn’t a decision made under the influence of estrogen…or the lack thereof.

But here’s a funny thing, since moving to Spain, menopause has become a new focus in my life.

My Bloody Hell: A Podcast About Perimenopause

This week, I’m launching a brand new podcast called, My Bloody Hell. It’s a show where women from diverse backgrounds share their stories about perimenopause, and where artists and writers who center women going through this stage of life come to talk about their work. I decided to start the podcast for two reasons. First of all, since moving to Spain, I’ve been living a much quieter, more peaceful life and it has given me the opportunity to slow down and listen to my own body and to the complaints and concerns of my friends. And you know what many of my women friends are talking about these days? Perimenopause. And what they’re saying is that there isn’t enough information out there about the topic. And that they feel alone with their pain.

Moving to Spain to Become the Perimenopause Whisperer

When I decided to move to Spain, I knew I wanted to do something different with my life. And I knew I wanted to do something that I was passionate about. Am I passionate about perimenopause? No. But I am passionate about helping others, particularly women. And I love creating support groups and community around shared struggles. I’ve been doing that my whole life. I even consider this blog and the people who read it (thank you, all) a community of like-minded individuals who want to see the world do better around issues of diversity and multiculturalism.

A Colorful Community of Women Supporting Women

So, My Bloody Hell is a podcast, but it’s also going to be a community (stay tuned for more on that), where women of diverse backgrounds can share their experiences, find resources and not feel so alone during this challenging time in our lives. Because this is a Lori Tharps production, you can expect everything about My Bloody Hell to be inclusive and colorful. We’re not whitewashing anything about the menopause experience.

If you’re interested in learning more about the podcast, feel free to check out the My Bloody Hell trailer on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. The first episode of the show will launch on Wednesday, September 15, 2021. The website will go live next month, but you can always follow the My Bloody Hell Instagram feed for information and inspiration.

How Do You Say Menopause in Spanish?

Clearly, not all of my readers here are interested in a deep dive into perimenopause. And that’s cool. I just wanted to let you all know what I was up to these days in my new life abroad. By the way, the word for menopause in Spanish, is menopausia.