This post was last Updated on July 24, 2020

of this blog, one of the main reasons why we started this project is to show the world that naturists are not some strange dark commune but that actually everyone could be one… Or could enjoy being one if they took the first step. As you may have read in the very first post of this blog, one of the main reasons why we started this project is to show the world that naturists are not some strange dark commune but that actually everyone could be one… Or could enjoy being one if they took the first step.

Our main example of “everyone” is of course ourselves, we write posts about naturism in general but also about our own experiences. But some of you might be thinking “Yes sure, those two are probably just the strange kids in the block…” (nah, we know you’re not thinking that about us, but we’re trying to write an introduction here). So we decided to let other naturists have a word as well.

What you find here will be a series of interviews called The Naturist Talks , which will last as long as we find people who want to talk about their experiences with naturism. We will try to bring you a variety of people, men and women, young and a little bit less young from all over the world who told us what naturism means to them, how they got into it and how it works out for them.

So please sit back and get inspired!

section. Meanwhile we already published a couple of interviews, you can find them in the The Naturist Talks section.

Today we’re listening to David’s story. David is 60 and lives in the United States.

Hello David, tell us something about yourself

Hello, my name is David and I live in a major city on the East Coast of the United States. I’m a graduate of a big public US university and “elite law school.” Successful attorney, writer, happily married, grown son, homeowner. Age 60. I used to both work out and run. Now, I go to the gym for two to two and a half hours every morning to lift weights and do aerobics. Working out seven days a week helps me both physically and psychologically.

We had a dog named Itzy, a cocker spaniel, for 15 years. Both my wife and I drive brand-new Toyota sedans.

We enjoy going to the theater, taking long walks, hiking, biking, reading and our friends and family.

How and at what age did you become a naturist?

I don’t have a specific reason for it, but from the beginning, I have never felt comfortable wearing clothes. Growing up, as an only child, with both parents out of the house at work, I had a lot of time at home alone. From an early age, I spent that time in the nude. I was nude indoors and very often (as long as there were no neighbors around), I would go out to our large back yard, and be nude outdoors. It was just so much more comfortable! As I got older, by the time I went away to college when I was 18, I was into serious exercising and discovering the wider world. I wanted to feel good about my body and be proud of my body – and I felt both back then, and have always felt both – in the nude. At my college, there was a big hillside (used for sledding in the winter) where college students, including me, could enjoy each other and the sun, in the nude. That was my first experience with public nudity, and certainly not my last!

Is naturism allowed in your country and what’s the public opinion?

Here in the United States, the laws vary from state to state and even city to city. However, there are many, many public beaches where nudity is not only tolerated but encouraged and I have enjoyed that. There are also private nudist (also known as naturist) clubs, mostly campgrounds (there was a great one I visited and fondly remember in southern California in the 1980s) and private nudist social networks. The opinion toward nudism and naturism is mixed inside the United States. There are many of us nudists, but many who don’t appreciate it at all.

We hate to divide people into groups, but we’ll do it anyway…

Do you consider yourself a naturist, a nudist or an occasional nudist?

I am a nudist.

To my mind, the term “naturist” applies to those who belong to “naturist” organizations such as The Naturist Society, and while I share their views, I no longer read their publications (although I follow them on Twitter).There are no really good private nudist-naturist campgrounds near my home, and publications and organisations that bill themselves as “naturist,” at least here in America, seem to recommend these private clubs and do not place the same emphasis on the qualities of nudity at public beaches, nudity among friends and nudity at home. (Being nude at public beaches, or among friends or at home, alone or with my wife, are all important to me. I am open about my body and and am very happy to spend my days nude and and sleeping at night in the nude.)I am in fact an enthusiastic and outspoken advocate for nudism, and if that also makes me a naturist, I would be proud to be designated as such.

Do you find it easy to make naturist friends?

Actually, once one finds nudist social groups in one’s community, it is easy to make nudist/naturist friends. When I first moved to the city where I now live, I was invited to a party that was described as “clothing-optional” – everyone (and there were guests of all ages) was completely nude. And, meeting other couples at nude beaches, at least where I have been, has been easy. What is not easy is introducing friends, family and acquaintances to nudism who had never been nude in public before. Some individuals just don’t understand how great 24/7 nudity is.

What’s the best tip you have for beginning naturists?

Advice to a beginner: The next time you are at home alone, take all of your clothes off, and do whatever you would have done clothed. You will discover right away how much more interesting and sensual and enjoyable everything is, whether it is reading or cooking or watching television, or doing yoga. Being nude as a child indoors led me to being nude as a child out-of-doors, then to being nude as much as possible in college and then to being nude nearly 24/7 throughout my adult life.

Anything else you’d like to share with our audience?

I am happier and healthier being a nudist than if I wore clothes. I strongly believe that my mental health is better, because I am more proud of my body, more relaxed, and happier. Obviously, I sleep better in the nude than if I wore clothing to bed. And I am not shy being with others when I am nude, whether indoors or outdoors, socializing with friends, or with my wife or alone. Being nude is a personal choice, maybe, but it is the right one for me and for lots of people!

Thank you so much for your participation David!

Do you also want to tell your story and experiences in naturism? Please get in touch via the CONTACT page! As long as we have people who like to contribute, we can keep The Naturist Talks running!

Picture credit: The photos in this post are coming from Google and Twitter. If you find one of yourself and you don’t want it to be on our blog, let us know and we’ll remove it.