Eolake Stobblehouse
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My boyfriend and I have both enjoyed the photographs you feature on your website, but it wasn't until last summer that I think I really came to understand the real beauty of the naked human form and appreciate the beauty of my own body. We were taking an all day canoe trip down a Midwestern river with four of our closest college friends when we came to a nude beach along the southern shore. It was a complete surprise to me, but apparently a few of our friends had heard about the place and were curious to see it in person. There were probably about two hundred people getting an all over tan that day. I thought we would probably just take a quick look to satisfy the curiosity of my friends and keep paddling, but the consensus was to stop and have our picnic lunch, so we found a somewhat secluded spot at the far end of the beach and pulled our canoes up on shore.

Almost as soon as we went ashore, the three guys began trying to convince me and the other two girls to get in the spirit of the "dress code" of the beach and go skinnydipping before lunch. We told them we'd pass but we playfully suggested that they were perfectly free to get naked if that is what they wanted to do. To our collective amazement, that is exactly what they did, and in a few minutes, my friends and I were treated to the sight of our three handsome hunks swimming and tossing the Frisbee without a stitch of clothing and apparently without a hint of embarrassment either. We had all seen naked guys before, but none of us had ever had the opportunity to admire the beauty of the male nude form in a completely natural and non-sexual environment in full daylight. I was mesmerized by this incredible sight of my three friends who now looked more like the statues of gods that I had seen in museums, but I was also feeling a bit panicky since I knew it wouldn't be long before they would suggest again that it was our turn to leave our swimsuits on the blankets we had laid out on the sand and join them in the water for a nude swim. The time I wore a skimpy bikini in South Florida was as close as I had ever come to being naked in public, and I knew there was no way I could do what they had done and strip naked in front of my friends.

Since the beach seemed to go on as far as we could see and there was no one further down the shore, I asked Rick to take a walk. It was like a romantic dream walking with him and seeing how free and easy he was with being nude outdoors, but he could sense that I was nervous at the same time. I told him I was afraid that he would want me to undress, but he was very reassuring and told me that he would never ask me to do anything that I was not comfortable doing. He asked me, though, if I was curious to try it, and when I said I might be, he suggested that I roll down the top of my one-piece suit and try going topless for a while. We were totally alone by this time and so I tried it. It felt great, and after a while, I found the confidence to slip my swimsuit off completely. I could not believe that I was naked in the hot afternoon sun, but the breeze felt wonderful and the water felt even better against my skin when we took a swim. We were like Adam and Eve in our own Eden, at least for the afternoon.

The moment of truth came as we turned to walk back to our canoes. Rick held out my suit since he figured that I would want to put it back on, but I told him to keep it in our zipper pouch. I wasn't sure I would have the courage to remain nude when we got closer to our friends, but the sensation of feeling free was too strong for me and I did not want to cover up. My first test came as we approached another couple heading our way—they looked to be college age like us, but they were dressed. When they stopped us to ask about the beach, I'll admit that I felt a little strange standing completely naked in front of two fully dressed strangers, but any feeling of embarrassment that I might have had disappeared quickly. Since they were obviously first timers as well, we encouraged them to give it a try, and when we turned back a few minutes later, we laughed as we saw them take our advice and strip off their clothes for a swim. I stayed nude all the way back to our picnic spot. I'm not sure who was more surprised to see me without my suit - the guys or the girls. I guess that I became an inspiration for the other girls because within an hour, they found their courage and decided to get an all over tan like the rest of us. We spent an absolutely glorious afternoon splashing around without a care or even the slightest inclination to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.

The events of that day were among the most memorable experiences of my life, and I still think about the ways that it changed my life. I gained a new admiration for the beauty of the nude body, and I find that I am much more confident as I look at myself in the mirror after a shower or spend romantic moments with Rick. Before we beached our canoes at that special place along the river, I would have never given a serious thought about going to a nude beach or resort. Now I can't wait to go back, and the six of us are already planning to do just that next summer. I’d like to hear accounts of other readers who have similar stories to tell. If you have never experienced the simple joy of skinnydipping, either alone or in the company of good friends, I strongly encourage you to put aside your anxieties and inhibitions and just give it a try.

Valerie