We are all born into this world without a stitch of clothes . As children many of us couldn't wait to peel off our clothes as we headed for bath time or a swim, My baby book has pictures of me lying naked on the rug by the fire or enjoying the inflatable pool in the backyard. In my formative teenage years skinny dipping was a natural part of my summers. Sadly many of us found enjoyment of nudity was tamped down by the adult messaging of you must remain covered, our anatomies were referred to in coded euphemisms' and the damage was done.

 In my teenage years I was fortunate to live in an area that had a number of swimming spots where we could shed our clothes and experience the sweet sensations of swimming unencumbered by bathing suits. We would often share laughter and deep meaningful conversations before once again getting dressed and returning to the clothed world.

 I was struck by how open and honest and kind my friends were on those nude swimming outings. The appeal of social nudism is that people are simply friendlier without their clothes on. I have often wondered why this is. I believe we all have varying degrees of shields that we put up to protect ourselves from what can be a cruel world. The negative impact of these shields is that when we talk to people the conversations are often superficial lest they expose an inner self and our perceived vulnerabilities. 

There is something about removing our clothes that brings down those shields and we get to know our friends on a more open and honest level. When we remove our clothes even strangers quickly become our friends. It is exhausting keeping the authentic self behind these shields so there is joy to simply being ourselves. Everyone has too much or too little of something and when we no longer hide behind our clothes it truly relaxes our soul and creates a degree of body acceptance . It is important for those new to social nudity to know  social nudism is not about sex it is about leading an open , honest and interesting life being our natural selves around others .

 I love hanging out nude with friends old and new. It can be as simple as a shared hot tub at home or a weekend camping trip at one of my favorite clothing optional resorts or nude campgrounds.