Naturist Talks: Paul from the USA

As you may have read in the very first post of this blog, one of the main reasons why we started this project is to show the world that naturists are not some strange dark commune but that actually everyone could be one… Or could enjoy being one if they took the first step.

Our main example of “everyone” is of course ourselves, we write posts about naturism in general but also about our own experiences. But some of you might be thinking “Yes sure, those two are probably just the strange kids in the block…” (nah, we know you’re not thinking that about us, but we’re trying to write an introduction here). So we decided to let other naturists have a word as well.

So please sit back and get inspired!

Meanwhile we already published several interviews with people from all over the world. You can find them in the The Naturist Talks section.

Today we’re listening to Paul, a military veteran from the United States.

I live in Texas, a wonderfully warm and beautiful state. I am a disabled military veteran and I have just graduated with my associate’s degree in business administration. I will be starting my bachelor’s program for a degree in the same field shortly. I do not currently have a job, but I am hoping to open a small business of my own once I graduate with my bachelor’s degree. I plan on doing custom leather work. I don’t own a car, but I ride a motorcycle every day. It is my favorite way to travel!

I grew up on a farm and went skinny dipping all the time. One day I chose not to put my clothes back on and ran through the woods naked the rest of the day. I loved it, and from then on I was hooked. I was a naturist. I’ve enjoyed being a naturist ever since. Sadly, my family is not very open and accepting of this, so for a long time I had to keep it to just me, by myself. After moving away from home I became a social nudist, and I have enjoyed that very much as well.

Naturism is allowed in the US, as long as it is in a nudist resort (or similar), or private property. Public opinion is still negative, but improving. In my experience, people are accepting of it as long as they don’t have to deal with it.

We hate to divide people into groups, but we’ll do it anyway…
Do you consider yourself a naturist, a nudist or an occasional nudist?

I consider myself a cross between naturist and nudist. I follow a philosophy about being connected to nature, but i also just like being naked as much as possible.

I find it is easy to connect with other naturists online, but a bit more difficult to connect with them in person. Most tend to be quiet about it, unless they know they are among those who view it favorably. It isn’t impossible, but you usually have to go to a nudist resort or other event to find people to connect with.

The best advice I can give is to be yourself. No one expects you to be any particular thing, act a certain way, etc. Just be yourself, and relax. You’re going to be ok. You’re only taking your clothes off.

The first time I went to a social nudist gathering, I was terrified. I kept a brave face, but I was scared. I got to the resort, checked in, stripped, and walked nervously to the lodge. Once inside, people began chatting with me, and I forgot in moments that we were all naked. It turned out to be an amazing evening, and much less scary than I expected. It was a huge boost to my confidence afterwards, and helped me a lot with my body image as well.