Shantell Powell<p>The winter of my worst hot flashes and night sweats, I slept out on the back step. I bundled up in sleeping bags and wool blankets, the skin of my face tight as plumes of breath floated up to the sky. I heard the secret wildlife of cities at night: the hooting of owls and the squeaking of skunks and rats. Light pollution hid most of the stars, but every now and then I saw a few lights in the sky: satellites, stars, planes, or the ISS. I remained outside each night until the temperature went below -10 Celsius, and then I reluctantly came back inside. I wish I could safely sleep outside now, but the air is choked with smoke. <a href="https://c.im/tags/SleepingOutside" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>SleepingOutside</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Outdoors" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Outdoors</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Pyrocene" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Pyrocene</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/AirQuality" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AirQuality</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/ClimateDiary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>ClimateDiary</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/Menopause" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Menopause</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/HotFlashes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>HotFlashes</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/NightSweats" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>NightSweats</span></a></p>