Why I Started Doing This

One-and-a-half weeks ago, I was laid off from a software testing job that I had worked at for over 6 years. All of a sudden, my life was turned upside down. And I was looking forward to moving into a new apartment with a co-worker. It took me a couple of days, including five whole crying fits in one night, to finally recover from the initial shock.

A few days later, this wild hair popped into my head. I went on the Interwebz, found claims that getting naked was good for mental health, and decided that, since I was still moving in with a co-worker, I should start this getting naked thing now. I’m sure everyone who does this has had that inkling in the past, that they liked getting naked, and not seeing nudity as inherently sexual. It’s just a state of being. A state of being some people are very comfortable with, and some are not. That won’t change any time soon.

For now, I still live on my own, and I can get naked by myself. And… I feel considerably better now. Oh, I don’t think my mental health problems are cured. I still have OCD and anxiety, it’s just that when I’m naked, they’re not a huge problem. I’ve also delved into this lifestyle/activity more, joining nudism Reddits, Discords, and Facebook groups, following nudist podcasts, nudist Twitter, Instagram, and Spoutible accounts, and reading up on nudism. What’s more, I have something to look forward to; my first-ever visit to a nudist club.

In other words, I do this for myself. I feel a lot better when I’m nekkid. I don’t know how I’m going to get and stay nekkid while I’m living with my former co-worker (The easiest answer is that I will be naked in my room whenever I can, clothed outside it). However, I’m excited to start this new… thing. Other nudists have been supportive of me. My “life coach”, who is not a nudist, likes my plan to go and spend a weekend at the club. My mom was shocked, but she’s understanding, so her reaction was more out of concern for me. I understand where she’s coming from. The only other person I intend to tell is my therapist.

I’ve been writing for years. Most of the time I’m trying to write fantastical fiction involving young adults (or New Adults, as the publishers are saying now) getting into fantastical situations. I even wrote sketch comedy. But during this time, I’ve also done freelance work for local newspapers. I mostly covered high school sports, but the highlight of this time didn’t involve sports. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist was coming to my neck of the woods. He had just written a book about his son, who has autism, used Disney quotes to communicate. I interviewed him, the paper ran it, and when I met him, he told me I was the best interview he ever had. How’s that for a review?

So, here I am. I don’t know if I want to call myself a nudist, maybe just, “some schmuck who likes to get naked”. I hope to find a community here. Not a cult, of course. But I am floored by the encouragement from more established nudists. Hopefully, I’m not rushing myself. This blog will most likely just be my raw thoughts. I don’t know much else aside from that. Maybe I’ll even become the next great nudist writer. If I can keep my attention span, that is.