First time not remembered

Me becoming a naturist was quite a natural development. I've been raised with no fuss about nudity in the family. We used to see each other nude in the bath and usually no one did dress for the way from bath to their rooms. My father used to sleep bottomless (he still does, I asume) and on sundays it was not uncommon that the family got together for a first coffee in their night-clothing. In summer we often went to beaches at the baltic sea or the north sea and at least we kids ran around nude, even on non-nude beaches. Was no problem at that times. When it was a beach far from people or officially a nude beach, all went bare. That was pre-puberty, but it laid the seed. You never forget that feeling of freedom. Later, as we still went on vacations to Denmark with the family, we all went nude at the beach and in the dunes, some time with the family of my mothers brother and their two daughters of the same age as my brother and me. And there was an annual family meeting at a north sea beach with family from around Germany where only grandma did not undress. 25 to 30 nude relatives, tons of food and lots of fun.

After university and findig me a wife there I continued to stay nude at home after a shower or delayed changing from night clothing to day clothes. And one warm rainy day, based on fond memories of nude freedom, I just decided to stay nude as there was no need ahead to leave the house. From that on, I only changed halfway after a sweaty day in business suite, slept bottomless regularly and nude, when it was very warm at night, and finally in summer sat nude on our balcony and even in my in-laws garden (when they weren't home). And I realised, I was a nudist. Today I only dress when I have to because of temperature or the intention to leave our apartment.

-Michael

Hamburg, Germany

Comfort as Well as Convenience

I used to say that growing up during the 1970s in the humid Midwest, we weren't nudists per se. What I mean is that nudity wasn't an all the time thing around the house; rather, it was a matter of convenience and no one else was embarrassed or affronted if one of us was nude between the shower and the bedroom. In fact, having two older sisters plus my mom, plus me all living under one roof (with only one bathroom), nudity was a pragmatic approach to household efficiency.

By the time I was either 13 or 14 (around 1980), my two sisters had moved out, one joining the Navy while the other graduated from college, leaving just my mom and me and of course, a much more easily accessible bathroom (yes, it's the little things in life!). Although I didn't realize it at the time, I was about to discover something that has since shaped my perspective on nudity.

Around this time, I remember that as I entered puberty, I had become much more private about myself, neither wanting to see nor participate in the household's practical nudity. As an aside, I've learned that this is very common, even among kids who are raised in nudist households. Sometimes the kids outgrow it and return to nudism, even raising their own kids as nudists; sometimes they don't. At that time, we didn't have air conditioning and that summer was another typical Midwestern scorcher, with daily temperatures in the 90s and little to no relief at night. We'd open the windows, but even the breeze was hot, with the bedrooms seemingly hotter than the rest of the house.

Late one weekend, I remember riding my bike home from my cousin's. I remember trying to pedal as little as possible, instead opting to coast so that I could benefit from the cooling effects of the wind. When I got home, the front door was locked, which was unusual. So, I jumped the fence and went in through the back door. Coming into the living room so that I could get my bike, I found my mom, nude on the couch. She had fallen asleep in front of the TV. My presence had startled her awake and she mentioned how hot it was (which obviously went without saying). She also mentioned that as long as the weather remained as hot and humid, she would probably continue to sleep in the living room and in her current state of nudity (though she would try to wait until the evening after dark). She was very perceptive of my unsaid reactions and mentioned that because of the weather, I was also free to be nude or not depending on my comfort level. It was a lot for me to take in. That night I didn't opt to be completely nude, however I usually slept in my jockeys, which is practically nude anyway.

A few days later, I tried sleeping completely nude, though I didn't tell her. I found that I did sleep well, and woke up the next day feeling well rested. That's when I realized that nudity wasn't just for convenience-it was about comfort too. And even though I wouldn't admit it back then, deep down I knew I liked being nude, so I guess I was alwa

-Jeff

Colorado

And the bride wore... not much

It's been a while since my first time nudist experience, but I keep discovering new first time experiences as a nudist. I recently went to my first nudist wedding! The bride and groom didn't consider themselves nudists, but wanted to have a transformative experience as they became wed. It was a small service and most of the guests arrived fully dressed, with only a couple of nude individuals who were club members helping out with the event. There was a definite curiosity about nudism amongst the guests and some of the more couragious began asking a wide array of questions to those of us in the buff. I began to realize that what they were really asking was wether it was ok for them to get nude too. We suggested that they go hit the walking trail and get nude once they were out of sight. When they made it back, they could decide if they wanted to stay nude or get attired again. More than a couple of the attendees stayed in some state of undress through the ceremony, and of those who stayed dressed, a couple said that they regretted not joining in. A few even stayed after and finally bared it all, even the grooms parents, who had stayed fully dressed through service decided to take a skinny dip. Most surprising was the reverend who admitted that she had decided to wear a full robe during the ceremony, but had chosen to wear nothing underneath. She not only committed to coming back at a less conspicuous time, but asked if she could take a hike along the trails before she left.

-Anonymous

Rock Haven

I have been a home nudist for years and finally decided to go visit a nudist resort. I found Rock Haven and emailed Susie. She is so nice and makes you feel comfortable visiting. I went to the office, paid the fee which is very reasonable, drove to the parking lot and stripped off my clothes. The feeling is so liberating and comfortable. I walked around the grounds and spent some time talking with the guests and Susie in the office. I had reservations at first as this was the first full nude experience in public but I found the nicest people there. Being nude and not being judged makes you feel stronger about your body. This was the first time but hopefully not the last time I will go to a nudist resort. If you are considering it, and traveling in Tennessee, go visit. It's wonderful!

-Brian

A baseball cap, sunglasses and nipple piercings

I wish I could remember when I first decided to try a nude vacation. I'd never really been comfortable with my own nudity. I don't even like taking off my shirt, so a nude resort would be a complete one-eighty for me, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was something I really wanted to try.

I ended up going to a resort a few hours away in Idaho. I was made to feel welcome right away and was given a complete tour inside and out. After getting settled into my room, I got undressed and took a quick shower. I still had things to bring in from my car, so it was time to open the door and step out into the hallway nude for the first time. I was nervous, but it was also such an awesome feeling! I was really doing it! When I was about halfway down the stairs I looked down and saw a few other guests sitting in the lobby. Amazingly, when they saw me, no one pointed or stared, and the world didn't stop turning! Such an amazing experience!!

After bringing some things from my car, I decided to go for a hike. One of the main reasons I chose this resort is because the property is ringed with miles of hiking trails. Hiking nude out in the open was such an exhilarating feeling! I vividly remember the feeling of air moving all around my body. You definitely miss out on that when you're covered in clothes. I loved hiking in the evenings, but the morning hikes were fun as well. It always felt so exhilarating to get out of bed at 6am and then head out into the cool morning air for a 2-hour nude hike.

The resort has two swimming pools. I'd usually swim in the indoor pool at night, and then every morning I'd head down to the outdoor pool to swim and sunbathe! It felt a little unusual tanning nude on a crowded pool deck, but once I was stretched out on my beach towel and had some music streaming through my ear buds, I'd usually forget I was naked within a few minutes. To be honest, I really looked forward to swimming and sunbathing nude. You really can't ask for a more enjoyable or relaxing way to spend a warm August afternoon!

In the end, I spent four days wearing nothing but a baseball cap, sunglasses and my nipple piercings. To my surprise, it was one of the most enjoyable things I've ever experienced, and I have no regrets at all! If you're considering going to a nude resort for the first time, don't hesitate, you're going to enjoy it more than you think! I went by myself my first time, but imagine being a mom and dad with a bunch of kids and not having to deal with mountains of luggage, clothes strewn all over the room or soaking wet swimsuits drip-drying in the bathroom. There's also very little you have to do between activities. If you're in your room and you want to go for a quick swim, you just walk down to the pool nude and get in the water. You don't have to get undressed or change or anything. So simple, easy and stress-free! That's how a vacation should be! I hope my experience encourages you to try a nude vacation for yourself.

-Chris

Montana