Hello all, my interest in nudism was piqued many years ago in my 20s. When backpacking with friends we would spend our days in the buff at mountain lakes and do nude day hikes. We didn't carry bathing suits, and we conserved the use and wear of our clothes. This seemed perfectly normal and natural, probably because it was the "hip 70s."

I also visited a nude beach with a friend, quite by mistake, actually, and quickly found that being nude with other nude strangers was normal, and that wearing clothes made you stand out and not fit in. In fact, everyone seemed to be no longer "strangers" when we were naked together. It's a communal thing. Being naked together is "the great equalizer." Nobody judges each other, and nobody really looks at each other on the physical level; on the contrary, you look into each others souls. This sounds trite, but it's what I know from being there, and until one tries it, one just can't understand it.

I hadn't practiced public nudity since those days years ago, but it was always in the back of my mind how liberating and joyful it was.

And I then had an epiphany.

It was World Naked Gardening Day, 2016. A few days before the event, I followed links on USA Today's website and fell down the internet "rabbit hole" regarding nudism. I saw photos of both oldsters with droopy bodies and nubile young men and women outdoors in their gardens. "What’s this?" I wondered. The entire movement piqued my interest. These were not exhibitionists. No, these were normal people comfortable in their imperfect bodies. Not like uptight me.

My Googling led me to links of articles on the "health benefits" of going naked. On a whim, I Googled "benefits of being naked" and found many articles from reputable sources on living such a lifestyle.

The first thing that intrigued me was what seemed to be the universally acclaimed #1 benefit of nudism: you will sleep better if you do it in the buff. How hard would it be to try that? I had stress related sleeping issues and any idea for a solution was welcomed.

So that night, I tried sleeping in the buff. Miracle of miracles! I no longer have insomnia since that first night.

Next I Googled "how to become a nudist" to get an idea of what it would take to lead this kind of lifestyle, and whether or not it was something I could handle, or would be put off by. The search result sent me to the "WikiHow" link "3 Ways To Become a Nudist." It was extremely gentle and logical in its instructions. It proved to be spot-on advice.

I'm fortunate to work from my home (now retired, FYI), so I'm pleased to say that I can be nude almost 24/7 and I haven't been a "textile" since World Naked Gardening Day. I'm also now venturing outside when it's practical; I have a fairly private back yard, but I don't wish to offend any neighbors with prying eyes, so I'm careful as to when and where I go.

Next step was social naturism. I ventured to a local landed club on Labor Day, 2016 and did a 5 mile clothes-free forest run, then spent the afternoon by the lake. In 2017 I spent two one-week holidays at Cypress Cove Nudist Resort in Kissimmee, Florida, USA. I'm pleased to say that I've logged nearly 50 miles in naked runs.

No looking back for me! I'm hooked.

My interests: By day, I'm a businessman (now retired) in the high tech industry, and by night I'm a "rock star." 🙂 I play drums and sing in a couple of working bands. I'm also an avid runner, having completed six marathons, including both Boston and New York.

One difficulty I've found is getting up the courage to talk to family and friends about my "revelation." By joining NC, I hope to find like-minded souls who I can communicate with about nudism.