On a school trip to an adventure centre on the Isle of Wight some friends and I went to spend some time at the beach. We walked down a narrow path to a secluded cove and were amused to see a whole bunch of people (mostly middle aged men with bulging tummies) totally starkers waddling around the beach or laying out roasting like chickens in an oven. None of us had seen anything like it and our outburst of giggles was almost perfectly synchronised. Two members of our group didn't hang around and headed straight back up the path and back to the activity centre. The five of us who did hang around to giggle and ogle some more eventually gathered enough self control and energy to make our way along the beach (in an almost dignified manner) to a clear area away from everyone else. The men on the beach were nothing to look at but when you're 16 years old and never seen a willy in real life before then you can't help but stare. A few of us even went to the trouble of walking around the beach for a better look - all still with our bikinis and swimsuits on so looking rather suspicious and more than a tad out of place. Once back at our things we compared notes. Half an hour on a nudist beach taught me more about male anatomy then a half a term of biology.
As the day progressed we developed a higher level of courage. It began with a game of dares. Without exception they all involved nudity of some kind or other. When in Rome.... The dares were not what you could call imaginative. The repetitive nature made the games less interesting and too predictable than they could have been. It was essentially a case of one of us being dared to do something and then immediately daring someone else to do the same. Bikini tops came off first (or swimsuits rolled down) followed by a topless swim. An hour was then spent making each other walk to different parts of the beach still topless. By this time it was clear the tables were being turned and the others on the beach were beginning to pay more of an interest in our antics.
The game continued. We were all sitting there with our boobs out so when Lisa was dared to get her pubes out the stakes were raised another level.
I knew it would eventually come around to my turn to get naked and it didn't worry me that much. We must have all been aware where the game was heading and accepted the fact way in advance. Before long we were all completely naked. That's where our game of dares ended and we enjoyed the rest of the day in naked bliss - sunbathing, skinny dipping and generally playing around. What started off as a childish game ended on something of a high for me. As a group we all had a good laugh about the day's adventure, though deep down I gained a lot more from the experience. I wouldn't say my shyness and hang-ups about my physical appearance had been totally swept away but I did develop a far more laid back attitude to my body. I was in the midst of puberty and I wasn't at all happy about my developing breasts and sprouting pubic hair. Somehow seeing everyone relaxing on the beach and not bothered about exposing their boobs and pubes made me feel less alien about mine.
We never got the chance to go back to the beach. When I got home I didn't tell my parents about that part of the trip. There was no way they would understand and most likely ground me for life. Around March the following year it was time to plan our holiday. It was almost like I sensed what was about to happen. Mum and dad were acting very awkward. Being told that we (mum, dad, Michelle and me) should get together that evening and discuss our holiday plans was unusual to say the least. We'd never talked about our holiday plans before. They had always decided where we were going to go and then told us. It was never like we had a choice in the matter. Why should this year be any different? I think you have already guessed why. Yes, mum and dad thought it might be a nice idea for all of us to go and spend two weeks 'getting back to nature'. I think that was the phrase dad used. It was either that or something equals cheesy. At the time Michelle was six and she didn't seem to care either way as long as there was a place to swim and eat ice cream. They were primarily concerned about me and how I would cope. They knew that at 17 years old it wasn't an idea time for me to suddenly have enough confidence to get my kit off in public.
We were going to be camping with one of dad's friends from work and his wife (Geoff and Debbie) who has been on clothing free holidays many times. It was them who gave dad the idea in the first place. I remember having lots of fun on the Isle of Wight. With others and done more official it might not be the same and I could end up hating the whole experience. Despite all my concerns I was tempted by the idea and agreed to it. Of course I made myself appear unenthusiastic but as a teenager that was part of my job. Our destination was the town of Hastings. We'd passed through and stopped off for lunch there on the way home from a holiday three years before and I remember it being a nice looking place. Dad's friend told us it was an interesting town and had lots to explore with clothes on if we didn't get on with the whole nudity thing.
We went shopping for a tent and got the biggest one in the shop. It was large enough for six people. We practiced setting up the tent in the back garden. The first time it took us over an hour to put up; the second time only 10 minutes. The man in the shop said it was important to put up the tent at least three times to check it for faults and to familiarise ourselves with how it should be erected in case we got to our camp site in the dark, which, he said, happens a lot. Michelle and I spent one night camping out in the garden. We wanted to practice sleeping in it ready for the holiday. Our clothes (PJs) stayed on. Neither of us wanted to practice that part of the holiday yet.
The day of our holiday finally came around. I had no idea how much clothing I should take. Mum said I should pack for a normal holiday just in case I didn't want to spend all my time hanging out on the beach. Mum and dad also packed a whole pile of clothes. It was only Michelle who was sparing with her packing. Having said that, she didn't exactly pack appropriately for a nude beach holiday either. For day wear she took one dress, a skirt and a top. For the beach she had two sarongs, two bikinis and a one piece. I pointed out that since the plan was to be nude at the beach and dressed in town that she might like to cut back on the beachwear and add more evening clothing! When we arrived at our camp site it instantly brought back memories of the beach on the Isle of White. Almost everyone was my parent's age or older (nobody at all my age) with generous amounts of body fat. There were others there Michelle's age so she'd be able to make friends to hang out with.
Geoff stripped down to his shorts to put the tent up. Dad did the same as Geoff. Once the tents were up Geoff's shorts came off and he went for a shower. Debbie unloaded some of their equipment and shortly after re-emerged from their tent wearing only a smile. My nerves were increasing. It was like getting naked was a relay event. Dad went off for a shower still wearing his shorts and carrying a towel. After 10 minutes had passed he wandered back to the tent with Geoff - both of them naked. It was impossible not to look below dad's waist. It wasn't like I had any inappropriate thoughts seeing him like that. I'd never seen his willy before so I was bound to be curious. Seeing dad naked, Michelle said something like 'I'm going to get bare too' and dropped her clothes where she stood before running in circles around the tent like a crazy dog. For the rest of the day I didn't get any further than getting changed into something more comfortable - a bikini and sarong - which I got changed into in the privacy of my 'bedroom'. Mum also kept her clothes on so I had some company.
We didn't stray very far that first day. We didn't arrive until 3pm so too late to do much apart from get settled. At around 7pm dad, Geoff, Debbie and Michelle got dressed and we all went into town for a fish and chip supper. Geoff showed us where the beach was, although there was nobody around by the time we got there. It wasn't as nice as the one on the Isle of Wight and had more pebbles than sand. When we got back to the camp field dad got his kit off again and Michelle did the same. We went across to the 'social club' (a shed with a bar, juke box and pool table) and spent the rest of the evening there. Nobody said a word about me keeping my clothes on. I later found out they had grown to expect it from teenagers so I was fitting in just fine. The following morning I got up very early and went across to the washrooms before anyone else was around. I donned a t-shirt and shorts as I still didn't feel ready to fully take part in the bare all. After my shower I made my way back to the tent. Still nobody else awake. Standing outside the tent looking around it appeared to be an almost perfect opportunity to have a go. With no more thought I pulled by t-shirt over my head, stepped out of my shorts and walked briskly across the field. I had no idea where I was heading. It seemed important to walk somewhere. Standing outside the tend naked would have given me far too much time to think about what I had done. I must have done ten lengths of the camp site before getting bored and going back to the tent. It didn't feel half as bad by then. I got a deckchair out and started reading one of my books. I was greeted by people as they walked across to the washrooms and they all appeared friendly and nice.
Geoff was up and about before any of my lazy family. He came over and parked himself on the grass next to me. We talked. That was the first time we'd had a proper conversation in the time I had known him. Being naked with people breaks down loads of barriers. There was a huge age difference between us but somehow being naked together made some of those years go away. We suddenly had more in common and were sharing what many would consider an intimate moment. Of course there was nothing at all intimate about it in the naturist world. Ever since then, Geoff and I have been a lot closer. We didn't start talking about deep and meaningful things - only about school, work, music, books, TV and such like. It did mean we didn't feel awkward in each other's company any more. Funny really. You'd have naturally though the nudity would have made us less comfortable.
As the temperature increased more campers emerged from their tents. My family were soon up and about. I stayed well and truly gued to my chair - trying to appear relaxed but at the same time not allowing too much of my body to be visible. Michelle didn't appear to even notice I was naked so that helped. Dad spotted the difference right away. He tried to behave as normal as possible but he couldn't help giving my body the once over any more than I could have avoid looking at home the previous day.
Mum was the only one left with clothes on and they came off soon after breakfast was ready. Our first family naturist experience was sitting outside a tent on a camp field at Hastings munching bread and jam. There were much more glamorous locations we could have experienced that moment. In many ways it wouldn't have made it less special. Enjoying naturism is not about being in an exotic location and enjoying a clear blue water and golden beach (although that would be nice). It's about doing everyday things - reading, eating and chatting - normal in every way apart from the nudity aspect.
For the remainder of our holiday I took full advantage of the freedom available to me. My shyness was short lived. During the whole of the first day I was constantly aware of my nakedness. When you've spent the whole of your life in clothes (apart from the obvious times) being totally naked is obviously going to feel very different. The texture of every single object you come in contact with jumps out at you. I was always being surprised just how hot, cold, rough, smooth, soft and hard things were. Sitting your bare bum on something feels very different to touching it with your hand. I went around with the impression that I was on public display and that everyone would be checking over my body. It wasn't like that at all. Nobody could care less how I looked and didn't treat me any differently despite my nudity. It was an amazing holiday and I was made to feel like something of a celebrity. I was a teenager and part of the rare minority. Everyone was telling me how courageous I was to take the plunge into naturism - especially at 'that time of life'. While I should have been hiding my changing body from public view I was sharing it with the world. Thinking back, becoming a naturist during puberty was a definite advantage. Yes, I was shy about my body. It felt awkward and the changes I was going through made me feel unattractive. Being totally naked and interacting with other people gave me heaps of confidence. None of the people I met ever said anything negative. In fact they were more inclined to say positive things about my body than textiles were. That made me feel much more self assured and made the journey much easier. Now I have lots of self confidence and don't have any hang ups about my physical appearance. Going back to school wasn't easy. I told my close friends where we had been on our holiday and I knew it was only a matter of time before the whole school knew. The ribbing lasted no more than a couple of weeks and everything went back to normality - almost. I was always known as the girl who got naked a lot. It didn't concern me a great deal. In fact that partly lead to my current level of confidence. I learnt to defend myself very well against shallow insults and mickey taking.
What have I gained from being a naturist? As you have most likely gathered, one hell of a lot. If only others were more aware of the benefits people would be turning to it in droves. It makes you very accepting of other people's bodies as well as your own. I find it much easier to relax when I'm naked regardless of whether the people I am with are or not. As a result, you can be a lot more practical about things. Being able to come home, get undressed, taking a bath or shower and then not have to think about what to put on or about drying yourself properly (if at all) makes life slightly easier. Our garden is a clothing optional area now (our neighbours are all very good about it) so I can always get a fantastic tan in the summer. All my friends are always dead jealous of that. There is a feeling of total freedom that comes from being completely naked. I've found nothing else that compares to it.