Andee Rodgers' 'ImPerfect' journey
Championing women's voices in naturism and bridging communities through the 'ImPerfect’ Tour
Andee Rodgers is at the forefront of a movement that champions the role of women in the world of naturism. As the current president of Serenity Mountain Retreat, Rodgers has taken on a significant role within the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR), focusing on advocating for Women in Nude Recreation (WINR). Her entry into the nudist lifestyle was unplanned, beginning with a vacation with her husband Tom that turned into a transformative journey towards self-acceptance and empowerment.
Becoming a part of the leadership at Serenity Mountain Retreat was the beginning of a deeper involvement in the nudist community for Andee, culminating in her role as the Northwest's WINR chair. She has been instrumental in developing educational materials aimed at fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for women in naturism. One of her notable initiatives is the WOW (Women One Word) campaign, which celebrates the personal growth stories of women through nudism, further extending her influence beyond the confines of her club.
The “ImPerfect” tour, Rodgers’s latest venture, encapsulates her commitment to connecting with women across the nudist community. This tour is a series of visits to AANR clubs around the country, designed to engage with women naturists and advocate for their representation and safety within the community.
The tour kicked off on February 1st and will run through mid-May, making stops at various AANR affiliated clubs throughout the western United States. The schedule includes visits to well-known nudist havens such as The Willamettans, Laguna Del Sol, Sequoians, and Lupin Lodge Naturist Resort, along with meetings with the Dragonfly Ladies in Altadena and engagements at Olive Dell Ranch, Glen Eden Sun Club, and many more. Each stop is an opportunity for Rodgers to share her journey, engage with local WINR groups, and encourage the establishment of new ones.
Recently, Andee Rodgers generously took the time during her travels to answer some questions for Planet Nude about her aspirations for the tour and her impactful work in the nudist community. And like she tends to do, she brought a bunch of great information and inspiration to the table.
Enjoy. 🚀
What was the inspiration for the ImPerfect tour?
Tom and I talked about getting out of the snow and rain in Portland, OR., and traveling South for the winter. We wanted to visit as many other clubs in the AANR community as we could. I said, “How amazing would it be if I could speak at the clubs we visited.” And so the concept was born. I ran it by the WINR group I meet with regularly and they thought it sounded like a great idea.
What are you most looking forward to?
I can’t wait to visit all the AANR clubs, both landed and non-landed. Primarily to meet people but to also see what each club has to offer guests and members. I am very much looking forward to this time alone with my sweet husband. We've been going non-stop with our club's needs, AANR, & WINR that we need some time to reconnect and just be together.
Where in the tour are you now?
The tour began the 1st of February and is going to run through mid May. Currently, there are 16 stops on the tour with more being added as I go.
We are still in the early stages of the tour with just four stops completed. Every weekend is a different place with a fair bit of traveling in between. Tom and I pick a few places between stops for some R&R. It also gives us the opportunity to refine and cater the presentations to fit what people are needing.
Each stop is unique and we want to be sure and meet them where they are at. During those times we write our reports and record a short summary of each stop and send it to the Naked, Nudists, and Naturists podcast to be aired sometime in the future.
What are your goals for the tour?
Community, camaraderie, and connection.
By sharing my story, I hope to connect on many levels with women who have gone through similar experiences as mine. My entire life I’ve never felt good enough; I was always lacking. I was told I was ugly and worthless. Surprisingly, becoming a nudist helped me love myself and attain a mental well-being I never thought possible.
When we share our stories, in essence baring our souls, we create a connection which creates a community of women who have strong bonds. We also have a great time getting to know each other which is where the camaraderie comes in. Most often that also includes a bottle of wine. Or two.
I also am hopeful to get submissions for this year’s WOW (Women One Word) campaign that will start on May 1st. More women to share their word and tell their stories to encourage and empower others. Read last year’s WOW campaign here: 2023 WOW Blog | WINR
What is on the program? What can attendees expect?
The ImPerfect speech starts with my story and the powerful impact that words have had on me my entire life. During my youth, the words were very painful and stayed with me for much of my life. I believed what I was told and it took becoming a nudist to finally let those words go. The narrative changed and now the words are all positive and empowering. You have to come to find out how that happened. I also talk about the creation of the WOW (Women One Word campaign) and the powerful impact that has had on the participants and the well over 1 million people who viewed the submissions. Then, of course, I show the 2024 calendar that was the culmination of that project.
No matter how much I’ve grown to love myself, that voice creeps in from time to time. I give some strategies for combating that negative voice.
I end by asking for a participant that would like to be a “Live Art” model. At The Willamettans, I had two. We write our words of encouragement on their bodies and then tell them what words have been chosen for them. Each participant receives an ImPerfect sticker and enters the drawing for a free calendar.
Women who have attended thanked me for sharing my story and told me they feel blessed and enriched by the whole experience.
What message do you want to send to women with your tour?
It wasn’t until I connected with women in the nudist community that I finally began to accept myself for who I was. That connection has empowered me to become the strong, amazing woman that I am today. Find women to connect with, make new friends, build each other up. I’ve made friends that I know will be life-long relationships.
What I am hoping every woman walks away with is the duality of the word ImPerfect. Society tells us we are imperfect, never good enough, not worthy, and so many other negative things about ourselves. But when you capitalize the i and the p, what happens is something incredible. When we change that word to something positive and I tell myself ImPerfect, I am given the power. Or maybe its permission, permission to tell myself I AM good enough, I AM worthy.
My friend Diane chose the word for the 2023 WOW campaign. She has always been an incredible inspiration to me. It’s her word that inspired me to name this tour the ImPerfect Tour. I hope women feel that way after having been to the workshop.
Is there a message for men? What about clubs?
Another goal is to promote AANR on all fronts. Tom meets with the men while the women are in the workshop. They discuss whatever is on their minds. One question that keeps coming up is, “What does AANR do for me. Why should I continue my membership?” Tom explains how AANR is advocating for our rights on a continual basis. There is legislation across the country that is always trying to take our rights to be nude away. He explains that it’s the best insurance policy you could purchase to secure those rights.
He also encourages each club to send an AANR representative to the regional meetings. In order to know what’s going on, you must send a delegate. It’s a win win for the person going who will learn about AANR but also meet some pretty amazing people. It’s also the best way for your regional AANR board to know what your club is needing.
What are the key takeaways for attendees?
I am asking each club we visit to establish a WINR group, many of which existed in years past. My hope is to revive that practice for two important reasons.
First, to get women together to encourage each other on a regular basis. This builds connection through camaraderie. As more groups are added I’ll list them on the womeninnuderecreation.com website and create an email thread and/or Google doc where we can share ideas of different things to do together: walking, painting, water aerobics, wine, knowledge, and always conversation.
The Better Together group just established at Laguna Del Sol had their first event last Tuesday. They’ve created a walking club which meets weekly.
The second reason for having a WINR group at your club is to encourage women traveling alone to visit. I have heard many times that they are hesitant to visit because they fear unwanted attention, or they have already had a bad experience and do not wish to repeat it. Having that connection with another woman will hopefully alleviate any anxiety of visiting and being on their own. With this connection, they actually won’t be. 🪐
Andee is such an inspiration! She has done so much to make women aware of wholesome nudity and has done some fantastic campaigns. She has a compelling story that many women can relate to and she is always willing to talk with women (and men) regarding nudism.
I will be attending the ImPerfect Tour at Glen Eden. I can't wait to hear and learn from her.