Hi friends,
It’s my birthday today! I’m sending this from Paris, where I’m celebrating with some of my best friends. Yesterday, we spent the day at Fete de la musique, dancing with the sun warming our skin, and today we’ll be eating some delicious carbs. What more could a girl ask for?
I’m 36 today. And it feels… weird. Usually I have big feelings around my birthday - I use it to take stock, to trace the arc of my growth. But this year, I’ve been doing that all year already.
This time last year, I’d just handed in the first draft of my book to my agent and was anxiously waiting to hear back. Since then, I’ve written three more drafts - each one its own kind of exorcism. So in many ways, I’ve already done all the shedding, reckoning, and growth a year can hold. Now, I just want to be. To exist here, as I am, for a while.
And yet - this birthday still carries a weight the others didn’t.
In this voicenote, I talk about why that is. What it means to age as a woman in a world that ties your worth to how you’re seen - specifically, how youthful and therefore malleable you appear. I also talk a little about the defiance of choosing not to panic about motherhood or the biological clock and what it feels like to look back at your 15-year-old self and finally think: you’d be so proud of me.
Usually, these voicenotes and journaling prompts are just for paying subscribers - but since it’s my birthday, I’m making this one free for everyone. I’ve also added a discount: 20% off 12 months if you upgrade to a paid subscription before July 1st.
If you’ve been thinking about it, now’s the time. Paid subscribers get access to a more private space - where the deeper, messier, more intimate shares will live. There’s so much more to come: more voicenotes, behind-the-scenes reflections, exclusive essays, and some surprises I’m really excited to share.
Thank you for being here - it means more than you know.
🪞A Journaling Prompt:
What do I believe about ageing, and who gave me those beliefs?
What does it mean to be a good ancestor to my younger self?
You don’t have to share your answers - but if you feel called, I’d love to hear from you. You can leave a comment below, or press reply to respond privately.
To growing older, softer, stronger - and more ourselves.
With love,
Alya xo
About Me:
I’m Alya Mooro, a writer and the bestselling author of The Greater Freedom: Life as a Middle Eastern Woman Outside the Stereotypes. My work explores identity, self-discovery, and what it means to live in alignment - with ourselves and with each other.
The Greater Conversation is where I share the softer, more reflective side of that work. It's become a space to think aloud, ask questions, and grow alongside a thoughtful community.
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