Not Everyone Needs to “Become” a Nudist. Let’s clear something up: not everyone who benefits from nudity wants to live naked full-time. You don’t have to sell your clothes, delete your social media, and start calling yourself “Brother Sunbeam.” Sometimes it’s enough to just try it. To step outside of your usual self for an afternoon. In those moments, you’re not converting to a lifestyle. You’re just stepping out of one.

Some people run. Others knit. A few collect vintage Pez dispensers or polish their cars until they can see into other dimensions. Me? I’ve mastered the ancient, noble craft of doing absolutely nothing… in the nude.
Not nothing nothing. I mean, I breathe. I blink. Sometimes I shift in my chair when one leg goes numb...

There comes a time when the mirror stops being your authority. It may still be a companion — a familiar pane to check for spinach in the teeth or sunscreen in the eyebrows — but at some point, it loses its hold on your worth. Quietly. Without asking permission. You stop consulting it for approval and begin listening, instead, to the body itself.

There’s a common assumption that nudity equals extroversion. That if you’re willing to take your clothes off in front of other people, you must be naturally outgoing, socially bold, maybe even the life of the (clothing-optional) party. But that’s not always true. And for a lot of us—it’s not true at all.

...and Why Sometimes It's Just a Little Scratch, Not an Invitation.
Reflections from The Turtle’s Diary
Let’s talk about hands. Not handshakes. Not gestures. Not metaphors about connection. I mean literal, physical hands. The kind that just don’t seem to know what to do when you’re naked in public for the first time. Especially if you're a man.

People expect nudists to look a certain way. You’ve seen the photos. Bronze skin, sun-bleached hair, lean bodies wrapped in nothing but freedom. Like they just stepped off a European beach where everyone eats olives, drinks wine, and hasn’t worn a swimsuit in years. But what if that’s not you?

People usually think naturism is about what you see or what you feel on your skin. But there’s another sense that wakes up once you’re naked: your hearing. As soon as the snaps, the zippers, and the rustle of fabric are gone, you can hear the world around you more clearly.

It’s probably a little early to say it out loud, but... why not? I’ve been told that my story has been accepted for inclusion in the upcoming anthology Bare Skies Ahead—a naturist-themed fantasy and science fiction collection being released on July 4th. Even better, all proceeds go to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). So it’s not just a collection of stories — it’s a good cause too.

A Few Thoughts Before You Hit the Trail:
If you’re considering taking that first barefoot — or booted — step into nude hiking, it helps to pack a little wisdom along with...

There’s a kind of truth that only comes when you’re not wearing anything.
I didn’t set out to make some big statement. I was floating on my back, letting the water do the work, when it hit me: most of what weighs us down isn’t ours to carry. It’s expectation...

In a world shaped by migration, global media, and digital communication, our everyday interactions often cross cultural boundaries—sometimes without us realizing it. Whether it's a brief chat with a rideshare driver, navigating a healthcare appointment, or collaborating with neighbors on a community project, the way we communicate is constantly influenced by cultural interpretation.

This Isn’t Just for “Nudists”
I don’t think you have to join a nudist club or attend an event to understand what I’m talking about. This kind of presence and body honesty can start at home—letting the sun hit your bare skin in the morning, skinny dipping in a quiet lake, or even just sleeping nude and noticing how you feel when nothing’s clinging to your body.

A Historical and Cultural Exploration of Shaving Pubic Hair
The practice of shaving pubic hair has a long and complex history that spans cultures, time periods, and social trends. While grooming choices...

In today's world, the body positive and sex positive movements have gained significant traction, advocating for the acceptance and celebration of all body types and sexual expressions...

The modern nudist/naturist movement promotes body positivity, personal freedom, and a rejection of shame associated with the human body. In many online spaces, however...

The intersection of religion, sexuality, and lifestyle choices...

From the Internet Archives

People say you never forget your first time. Usually, they mean your first love or your first heartbreak, but for a naturist, it might be that first walk through a resort gate with nothing on but courage...

Groupthink, Fear & Implicit Prejudice.
I wrote this in 2019. I'm reposting it because the conditions that produced it haven’t gone away.