Dear DOMAI
My boyfriend discovered your site a few weeks ago and last night he showed it to me. We spent about two hours reading the old newsletter articles. When I told him that the photos of the models on the sand or in the water reminded me of one of my most memorable experiences that happened during the summer after my freshman year at college, he suggested I contribute my own story to the collection.
I grew up in a rather small town and so my circle of friends included people that I had known since grade school. My best friend Lauren, her older brother Tim, and another good friend named Eric made plans to spend a week at her family’s lake cottage that summer and they invited me to join them. The guys went up a day before we did to open up the place and mow the lawn, and Lauren and I drove up to join them the next day. When we reached the cabin and carried in our tote bags and some bags of groceries,
I looked out the window and spotted Tim and Eric diving off the wooden pier and splashing in the water. Lauren laughed when she saw my eyes go wide and smiled when I realized that they were both naked. She explained that she wasn’t sure how Tim and Eric had planned to dress with girls around, but she said that when it was just family and good friends at the cabin, no one wore clothes in the lake or anywhere else for that matter. She said it wasn’t a formal nudist thing—just something that they had done since they were kids and that it just seemed like the comfortable and practical thing to do.
Once she saw that the guys had chosen to go without clothes, she asked me if I would be uncomfortable if she joined the guys and enjoy the warm summer weather in her birthday suit as well. She assured me that I was under no pressure to go nude and said that if I was uncomfortable with the others being nude, they would put on swimsuits when I was around. I told her that being completely naked in a mixed crowd had never even remotely crossed my mind, but that I did not want to cause the others to change their plans because of me.
That first day down by the lake was an eye-opening experience to say the least. Here were two guys that I had known since we were little kids walking around and swimming completely nude without a care in the world and without a hint of modesty or embarrassment. I tried not to stare, but their trim athletic bodies were magnificent and fascinating to me since I had never seen a grown man naked in my life.
Lauren too was beautiful, and I was amazed that she seemed to be so relaxed and confident as she swam and lay out in the sun wearing nothing at all. I had picked out a bikini for the week that I thought would be daring, but now it seemed totally out of place since no one else was wearing swimsuits. I tried several times to find the courage to slip it off and join the others in the lake, but I could not bring myself to do it. Instead, I just sat in the sand feeling self-conscious and watched them have fun.
That night I told Lauren how awkward I felt, and she reassured me and suggested a plan. She said that the guys were planning to drive to town for supplies the next morning and would be away for an hour or two. She said that if I really wanted to try skinnydipping to see how good it felt, I could do it when the guys were gone and then just put my bikini back on when they got back. As soon as we saw the SUV drive off the next morning, we got undressed and hurried down to the lake. The air felt good on my bare skin as we ran down to the lake, and I was amazed at how wonderful and exhilarating it felt to swim nude. I felt completely free and totally relaxed, and I finally understood why so many people feel that this is the only way to swim!
I knew it was decision time when I heard the car rumbling up the gravel road. Should I make a dash back to the cabin to put my bikini on or was I prepared to continue my naked adventure in mixed company? I decided to stay just as I was, and I am so glad that I did. After the guys joined us in the water, it took some courage for me to climb up the ladder and stand on the diving dock in full view of everyone the first time, but any feelings of embarrassment disappeared in a moment. I turned to face them and made a comical grand gesture when I heard their good-natured claps and whistles, and from that moment on, I felt beautiful and free. At no time was there ever anything erotic or sexual about our naturist adventure that week—just natural fun with a group of good friends. At the end of the week, we all joked about how hard it was to put clothes on again and return to “civilization.”
I am writing because many of the sample photos on your site remind me of that beautiful week and the way that I felt comfortable with my own body for the first time in my life. When I see your models relaxing on the beach in the nude and looking completely natural and relaxed, I have happy memories of my week at the lake. My boyfriend and I have found some clothing optional beaches near our apartment, and we have started to read more about other naturist locations nearby. We have not had a chance yet to look at the full collection of photos on this site, but if they are anything like the samples we have seen, I can only say that you have created an amazing place here on the web. Thanks!"
--Megan
