We've both been comfortable being nude, always slept nude and would skinnydip whenever the chance was available.
Only since becoming empty nesters have we been able to be nude at home most of the time, and become active in social nudity. Now we're making up for lost time. ⛱️🍑😉
The closest legal safe space from my current location is nearly 100 miles away in another state. My state has extremely restrictive puritanical laws with regard to nudist/naturist activities.
Great question. Taking part in social nudism is something I wanted to do since my late teens. At 22 I saw a small, carefully-worded ad by Avatan in Minnesota, where I was living at the time. It was clear that this was a couples-only operation. I wrote them of our engagement and the response was "Contact us after you are married." When we married (1969, I was 24), she answered my question, "I just couldn't do that. I'm not comfortable with it."
By the late 1990s, 30 years later, we had moved to North Carolina and become close friends with another couple. One evening they confided to us that they were nudists and were camping that weekend at Bar-S Ranch--would we like to join them? I started laughing and they asked what was so funny. I said, "I'd go with you in a minute but you have to convince Jan." They were as unsuccessful as I had been.
I never considered social nudism alone. I feared stressing a good marriage. In 2005 I lost my wife after 35 years of marriage. After a few months I realized that I no was longer limited by her sensitivity. I contacted Coventry (now closed) and asked if single males were admitted. They were and my adventure began.
The couple stayed in close touch with me through my grief and a few months later invited me to join them on a nude cruise, another adventure that has continued.
There's enough content for another essay, longer than this one, about how I met my new life partner at a nudist pool party in 2010 (guaranteeing avoidance of the initial limitation) and we've been sharing a home since 2012.
Most was a safe place where it was legal and no fear of being judged or body shaming. When I was younger the fear of getting an erection when I got older body shaming and as always legal place. Now I have a private place where I can get naked and not care who sees me!
In the 70s and 80s, Naturism was not in the mainstream here in the US. I was only ten years old when I remember seeing photos of the nude Woodstock fans. I thought it was cool that these free-spirited people had no issues hanging out in the nude with like-minded people. I do wish I could have experienced that freedom at an earlier age. I did not try naturism until much later in life as an adult. It's now been almost twenty years since my first social nude experience, and I hope to continue enjoying the freedom and spiritual aspects that naturism provides.
I answered 'no safe space' because my fascination with nudity began at age nine and was relentlessly repressed through the next crucial five years of psycho-sexual development. There was no safe space for a nine (or ten, eleven, twelve etc) year old boy to go to admit and explore his fascination with his and his peers burgeoning sexuality. It has taken me a lifetime to recover from that lack...
My wife and I had no issues in being nude, but once the kids came along, she was adamantly against it. After 45 years, my wife passed away, and after a year or so, I decided that as I have fewer years left than I've lived through, there was no sense in not checking out local nude resorts. I joined a long established landed club about an hour from where I live, and I've never felt such freedom and acceptance, as everyone there was there for the same reason.
At some point as a teenager, through the magic of the internet, I learned that "nudists" exist. I experimented with nudism a bit privately in my bedroom doing homework or just around the house when the rest of my family wasn't home and found I really liked it!
However, so many signals I got from the media made nudists a source of humor. They were outcasts who should be ridiculed by normal people for deciding to live this way. On top of that, it seemed to my young mind at the time that the only real way to "be" a nudist was to isolate myself from society in a "nudist colony", and I thought one day I would have to make the decision to abandon everything and everyone move to such a nudist colony if I wanted my life to be like this.
I already had to deal with the complex issue of just beginning to understand sexuality as a human undergoing puberty, and I certainly didn't want to internalize a lifestyle that would make me an outcast. So I banished nudism from my mind and never talked to another living soul about my thoughts on nudity for fear of being associated with nudists. For 20 years nudity was only for showering or sex.
Then one day, like a sudden bolt of lightning, my repressed memories about having an interest in nudism came flooding back. I decided, "Hey, actually, I'm an adult now and I can just do things. Who cares what other people think?" I started approaching nudism with more intellectual curiosity. I started to meet nudists. I learned the term "naturism" and about the history of activism around body freedom. I learned that there was more to all of this than just isolating yourself in a gated community with other naked people.
Naturism was something I always wanted in my life, but the way it was packaged and presented made me believe it was something it was not, and I feared the judgment that embracing it would bring onto me.
I was 12 years old, recently exiled to Mayberry from the Chicago 'burbs, 700 miles from anything I knew, and lost at the edge of the woods. I had never before seen wide open wilderness and I explored it every day after school. The trails went on for miles back then along the creek. I found a nice pond one hot day but I had no swimsuit. I had recently read Huckleberry Finn and decided to swim nekkid like Huck did. What wonderful freedom to do something so basic and simple yet felt so clandestine.
Now I'm elderly and I will still happily go play in the creek.
I didn't make it a priority. I was naked at home a lot, but never thought to go to a resort. Then I was on a textile cruise and had a chance to visit a popular nude beach. I loved it within 5 minutes of being there. After that I sought out places to go and it turns out there were lots of opportunities!
I was about 6 when my folks punished me from coming home from playing in the local creek with my clothes muddy. So I started taking my clothes off before playing in the nude with my friends. I kept at it through my teen years. I wanted to join a local sunbathing club but I needed to be 21 to do so, however I learned that I could get a job there at 18. So on weekends I worked and enjoyed being a nudist, while taking nude hikes being a naturist. I have been at it ever since and trying to get more people to understand the healthy aspects of body-acceptance and self-esteem by enjoying being socially naked. However, it is like many Eastern practices, one must experience it to really appreciate and understand it.
I just assumed my wife wouldn't like it, but we really hadn't discussed it. Then I ran across a posting on an adult travel forum where the question was something like "Where can I take my wife camping where she would feel comfortable?" The answer was a clothing-optional resort in Georgia. So I broached the subject and ... we went there!
Opportunity mainly... But my second relationship we wanted to have somthing to do together. We found a local travel club and went for it! Wonderful feelings and great people we met and had great times together and have now been mairred 21 years.
Mostly because of opportunity.
We've both been comfortable being nude, always slept nude and would skinnydip whenever the chance was available.
Only since becoming empty nesters have we been able to be nude at home most of the time, and become active in social nudity. Now we're making up for lost time. ⛱️🍑😉
The closest legal safe space from my current location is nearly 100 miles away in another state. My state has extremely restrictive puritanical laws with regard to nudist/naturist activities.
I'll second this one
Great question. Taking part in social nudism is something I wanted to do since my late teens. At 22 I saw a small, carefully-worded ad by Avatan in Minnesota, where I was living at the time. It was clear that this was a couples-only operation. I wrote them of our engagement and the response was "Contact us after you are married." When we married (1969, I was 24), she answered my question, "I just couldn't do that. I'm not comfortable with it."
By the late 1990s, 30 years later, we had moved to North Carolina and become close friends with another couple. One evening they confided to us that they were nudists and were camping that weekend at Bar-S Ranch--would we like to join them? I started laughing and they asked what was so funny. I said, "I'd go with you in a minute but you have to convince Jan." They were as unsuccessful as I had been.
I never considered social nudism alone. I feared stressing a good marriage. In 2005 I lost my wife after 35 years of marriage. After a few months I realized that I no was longer limited by her sensitivity. I contacted Coventry (now closed) and asked if single males were admitted. They were and my adventure began.
The couple stayed in close touch with me through my grief and a few months later invited me to join them on a nude cruise, another adventure that has continued.
There's enough content for another essay, longer than this one, about how I met my new life partner at a nudist pool party in 2010 (guaranteeing avoidance of the initial limitation) and we've been sharing a home since 2012.
Most was a safe place where it was legal and no fear of being judged or body shaming. When I was younger the fear of getting an erection when I got older body shaming and as always legal place. Now I have a private place where I can get naked and not care who sees me!
In the 70s and 80s, Naturism was not in the mainstream here in the US. I was only ten years old when I remember seeing photos of the nude Woodstock fans. I thought it was cool that these free-spirited people had no issues hanging out in the nude with like-minded people. I do wish I could have experienced that freedom at an earlier age. I did not try naturism until much later in life as an adult. It's now been almost twenty years since my first social nude experience, and I hope to continue enjoying the freedom and spiritual aspects that naturism provides.
My Ex-wife she wouldn’t countenance going anywhere where nudity would practiced. Whatever I suggested was refused without any. Discussion
I answered 'no safe space' because my fascination with nudity began at age nine and was relentlessly repressed through the next crucial five years of psycho-sexual development. There was no safe space for a nine (or ten, eleven, twelve etc) year old boy to go to admit and explore his fascination with his and his peers burgeoning sexuality. It has taken me a lifetime to recover from that lack...
My wife and I had no issues in being nude, but once the kids came along, she was adamantly against it. After 45 years, my wife passed away, and after a year or so, I decided that as I have fewer years left than I've lived through, there was no sense in not checking out local nude resorts. I joined a long established landed club about an hour from where I live, and I've never felt such freedom and acceptance, as everyone there was there for the same reason.
At some point as a teenager, through the magic of the internet, I learned that "nudists" exist. I experimented with nudism a bit privately in my bedroom doing homework or just around the house when the rest of my family wasn't home and found I really liked it!
However, so many signals I got from the media made nudists a source of humor. They were outcasts who should be ridiculed by normal people for deciding to live this way. On top of that, it seemed to my young mind at the time that the only real way to "be" a nudist was to isolate myself from society in a "nudist colony", and I thought one day I would have to make the decision to abandon everything and everyone move to such a nudist colony if I wanted my life to be like this.
I already had to deal with the complex issue of just beginning to understand sexuality as a human undergoing puberty, and I certainly didn't want to internalize a lifestyle that would make me an outcast. So I banished nudism from my mind and never talked to another living soul about my thoughts on nudity for fear of being associated with nudists. For 20 years nudity was only for showering or sex.
Then one day, like a sudden bolt of lightning, my repressed memories about having an interest in nudism came flooding back. I decided, "Hey, actually, I'm an adult now and I can just do things. Who cares what other people think?" I started approaching nudism with more intellectual curiosity. I started to meet nudists. I learned the term "naturism" and about the history of activism around body freedom. I learned that there was more to all of this than just isolating yourself in a gated community with other naked people.
Naturism was something I always wanted in my life, but the way it was packaged and presented made me believe it was something it was not, and I feared the judgment that embracing it would bring onto me.
I was 12 years old, recently exiled to Mayberry from the Chicago 'burbs, 700 miles from anything I knew, and lost at the edge of the woods. I had never before seen wide open wilderness and I explored it every day after school. The trails went on for miles back then along the creek. I found a nice pond one hot day but I had no swimsuit. I had recently read Huckleberry Finn and decided to swim nekkid like Huck did. What wonderful freedom to do something so basic and simple yet felt so clandestine.
Now I'm elderly and I will still happily go play in the creek.
Didn’t know there was a resort so close to my home.
Cult-y vibes when there's zero outreach and (for my wife) cultural standards (family/acquaintance acceptance).
I didn't make it a priority. I was naked at home a lot, but never thought to go to a resort. Then I was on a textile cruise and had a chance to visit a popular nude beach. I loved it within 5 minutes of being there. After that I sought out places to go and it turns out there were lots of opportunities!
I was about 6 when my folks punished me from coming home from playing in the local creek with my clothes muddy. So I started taking my clothes off before playing in the nude with my friends. I kept at it through my teen years. I wanted to join a local sunbathing club but I needed to be 21 to do so, however I learned that I could get a job there at 18. So on weekends I worked and enjoyed being a nudist, while taking nude hikes being a naturist. I have been at it ever since and trying to get more people to understand the healthy aspects of body-acceptance and self-esteem by enjoying being socially naked. However, it is like many Eastern practices, one must experience it to really appreciate and understand it.
I just assumed my wife wouldn't like it, but we really hadn't discussed it. Then I ran across a posting on an adult travel forum where the question was something like "Where can I take my wife camping where she would feel comfortable?" The answer was a clothing-optional resort in Georgia. So I broached the subject and ... we went there!
Opportunity mainly... But my second relationship we wanted to have somthing to do together. We found a local travel club and went for it! Wonderful feelings and great people we met and had great times together and have now been mairred 21 years.