New Meetup group: Naturists in the Modesto Area

After years of naturist participation and blogging, I’m in the process of organizing a naturist Meetup group for the Modesto, California area. (Think of the area as within about 100 miles of the city.) If you’re in the area and interested, go to

https://www.meetup.com/naturists-in-the-modesto-area

to learn more and request to join. (You’ll need to get a Meetup.com account if you don’t already have one.)

Here is the current description of the group:

Our group is for anyone who enjoys non-sexual social nudity. We’ll have clothing-optional activities to interest almost any naturist, such as visits to naturist clubs, home parties, potluck meals and picnics, swimming pool gatherings, camping, hiking, visits to nude beaches, online video chats, community outreach, and any other traditional naturist activity.

If you currently enjoy nudity mainly at home, this is an opportunity to find others like yourself. First-timers and anyone sincerely interested in naturism is welcome. All activities will be appropriate for your whole family, even those who aren’t quite ready to participate fully clothesfree.

In a Meetup group there’s the opportunity for members to communicate among themselves in a discussion area on the site, on a mailing list, and by private messaging with other members. If you already have naturist friends, this could be a good way to stay in touch with each other. So if you choose to join, please invite other nearby naturists you know to consider joining too.

Note that Modesto is about 60 miles from Laguna del Sol, easily the best naturist destination in the area, perhaps even in Northern California. It should be an ideal place for occasional organized events, or simply for group members to get together in smaller groups in a clothesfree environment.

If you have further questions before joining at Meetup, feel free to ask them in the comments here.

What sorts of things do you especially enjoy doing naked?

Since this is a naturist blog, I mean only non-sexual things, of course.

Dan Carlson’s blog very recently had a most interesting post: What Kind of Nudist are YOU? As phrased, the question suggests that “nudists” (and equivalently, “naturists”) tend to belong to distinct “kinds”, “types”, or “categories”.

Dan backs away from that sort of interpretation, yet he still offers 11 different categories to which he asks readers to assign themselves, although multiple categories are allowed. The categories are given snarky names, like “Jello-shot nudie crowd”, “Wine-foodie naturist snob”, “Life until death nudist”, and “Yoga-wellness guru”. Seriously, how many people who enjoy nudity would care to be regarded as members of categories like that? You’ll have to read the article for an explanation of how the categories are defined.
Continue reading “What sorts of things do you especially enjoy doing naked?”

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, August 1-15, 2020

  1. I Never Thought Nudity Was a Big Deal

    On a recent trip to Florida, Evelyn and her mother had checked into a hotel. She writes that “After a shower, I toweled off, slipping on a robe to grab the delivery I’d ordered. Then, I’d tossed the scratchy monster on the bed, and naked is how I stayed — and how I will forever prefer to stay.” Clearly, Evelyn is comfortable with her nudity.

    But unexpectedly, “I heard a keycard beep and the door-handle said, click”, and, fully exposed, she saw that “a housekeeper stood in my doorway with her arms full of towels.”

    The next day, after plenty of time to process the event, she realized “I’d never questioned my love of private nudity. Since puberty, when my parents fought me to wear a bra, I’ve loved the sensation of my skin against the open air. I also assumed, like me, most people didn’t care about disrobing in secret. We’re all born naked and get nude at least once a day. Is it so strange to enjoy our natural state? The answer is, of course not.”

    Evelyn’s eventual conclusion: “Somewhere along the line, society decided nudity is weird, and it became the norm to cover up, even off the record. … I couldn’t find one reason why this rule needed to apply to anyone who doesn’t want to follow it.”

    Here’s the thing: There are lots and lots of people like Evelyn. Nudity – at least in private – feels normal to them, and they enjoy it. But they know that “society” thinks it’s an aberration – even though that’s just plain wrong. Almost everyone like Evelyn is only a short step away from deciding that naturism is for them. All they need is for someone to come along and welcome them into the fold.

    If you’re a lot like Evelyn, but don’t yet consider yourself a naturist, why not? This is your invitation. (Perhaps this blog post will address some of your concerns.)


  2. The Clothing Optional Retirement Plan

    I can’t resist including this article, for a reason noted at the end, even though it’s undated and may have appeared before August. The article’s about choosing a naturist park or resort as a place to retire in. If you’re young, you’ve probably thought little or nothing about retirement. But once you’re near retirement age, you’ll probably think about it a lot. If you’re still healthy when you retire, you may be satisfied to continue living right where you are. But as the years go by, you may want to consider moving – probably to a smaller home. A large home, perhaps with a large yard, is more than you really need, and requires considerable work to keep up – work you don’t feel like doing much longer.

    If you’re a naturist, there’s much to like about the idea of retiring to a naturist community, besides having a smaller, more easily maintained home to live in. Here are some other obvious advantages:

    1. You can be naked most of the time.
    2. You’ll spend much less time doing laundry.
    3. You’ll have the company every day of many others – both visitors and full-time residents – who enjoy nudity as much as you do.
    4. Almost all naturist communities have one or more swimming pools and spas, perhaps a well-equipped gym and a decent restaurant within walking distance, and probably other amenities and recreational facilities as well.
    5. You’ll be in a gated community with excellent security.
    6. You can relocate to a part of the country with a milder climate than where you came from.


    Are there downsides? Well, if you’re lucky, there may be a good naturist community even closer to where you have family and friends. But more likely you won’t be living as close to family and friends as you were before. And quite possibly, even if family and friends aren’t too far away, many may be uncomfortable visiting a place full of naked people. On the other hand, they might actually be intrigued by that possibility – and even think seriously about becoming naturists themselves.

    Now, what was it I found especially interesting about this article? It’s the fact that the article seems to have appeared last year, but at the end it links to a page that lists many naturist places in the U. S. Unfortunately, that page is quite out of date. How do I know? Because that page is on this blog’s website, but hasn’t been updated in about 14 years. So (I’m sorry to say) it can’t be relied on. I won’t link to it, but if you really want to see it, search on this phrase: “Where to be Naked in the U. S.” There are a number of other places you could look for the informaation, such as this Wikipedia page, or this one from the AANR.

  3. More People Getting Naked During Coronavirus: When Clothing Is Optional, What About Masks?


    There have, surprisingly, been a number of articles published that find it strange for naturists to wear masks because of the pandemic. Already noted here was another article about this from the same source. And here are additional examples mentioned in the present article: (1) You Can Leave Your Mask On: Nudists Wear Just One Item in Covid Times, (2) The Ongoing Battle to Convince Nudists to Wear Face Masks, (3) Clothes off, masks on: America’s nudist resorts reopen, (4) ‘You can leave your mask on’: Nudists adapt to Covid times, (5) Getting naked in quarantine: Interest peaks in nudist lifestyle during COVID-19 pandemic.

    It’s really rather silly, however, to suppose sensible naturists would seriously object to wearing a mask for protection of themselves and others. Most naturists are health-conscious, practical people who wear shoes or sandals to protect their feet when necessary or some sort of actual clothing when cold. Masks are just another example of being prudent. To imply that naturists don’t exercise good judgment is sort of a put-down.

    But this article is a good one, and presents a rather positive view of naturism. For one thing, it cites accounts that some naturists organizations have noticed a surge in membership, attributed in part to offerings of online naturist activities using video technology. Just consider the following reports, from Ireland, as examples.


  4. Irish Naturist Association sees surge in numbers joining nudist group during lockdown

    Here’s the gist of the story:
    A growing number of people are stripping off across Ireland to help themselves cope with the woes of life in lockdown. According to Newstalk, there has been a surge in the number of people showing an interest in joining the Irish Naturist Association. This has been partially attributed to the Covid-19 restrictions in place across the country, with many exploring new ways of letting off steam and enjoying their natural surroundings. The Irish Naturist Association is reporting a 31% increase in new memberships between May and July. Speaking to The Hard Shoulder, member Ciara Boud cited the fact many have more free time on their hands during lockdown to explore such options.

    If you’re surprised that naturism is now popular in Ireland, there are other posts on the topic: here and here. And there’s another article on how the lockdown has stimulated interest in naturism in Ireland: ‘You get accustomed to it’ – Irish Naturist Association sees surge in memberships. That mentions one possible reason for the new interest in naturism: “Maybe people had more time to be online, they’re looking up stuff.”

    In other countries besides Ireland the national naturist organization reported a notable increase in membership. Here are some reports from England.

  5. Nutritionist Non-Confidential: what to eat to look good naked


    The nutritional advice in this article isn’t especially unusual, and if you’re concerned about healthy eating – as you should be, whether or not you enjoy being naked – there’s probably not much here you don’t already know. So why take note of this article at all? It certainly starts off in a nudity-positive way:

    Whether you’re an avid subscriber to the Skinny Dip Club or like to dance around your condo in the nude every once in a while, there’s no denying that there are few things that feel quite as exhilarating as flaunting your birthday suit.

    Other than that, there’s really nothing of special interest to naturists. No doubt the main intention was for the headline and first paragraph to grab readers’ attention. Nevertheless, it’s a good sign that an enthusiastic viewpoint on nudity would have the desired effect.

  6. Naturism as a Way of Living

    When measured by time spent naked, naturists occupy a broad spectrum – from “only if I’m in the mood to visit a clothing-optional beach or naturist resort” to “absolutely as much as possible”. It’s all good as far as naturism is concerned. But the ideas and practice of naturism, in general, will prosper the most if the largest number of people gravitate to the “as much as possible” end. It makes sense to say that people toward the often-naked end “have a naked lifestyle” or “embrace living naked”.

    Exactly why is this good for naturism? There are many reasons why it’s good for all naturists if there are more people who have a naked lifestyle. Friends and relatives of such people will become more used to seeing nudity, and they’ll understand better why it’s enjoyed. Being naked will be considered more “normal” and less crazy or eccentric by the general population. There will be more visitors to naturist parks and resorts, hence more can afford to open and offer a wider variety of facilities. People will feel freer to dispense with some or all clothing in everyday social situations. There will be more pressure for allowing nudity at least in parts of public beaches and parks. Repressive laws against nonsexual nudity in suitable places will be weakened or eliminated. And so on.

    The article cited above makes the case that naturists aren’t merely “naked people”, indistinguishable from other naturists. Rather, they are people who value being free of clothes as an important part of their life. An analogy is offered between naturists and people who value practicing yoga or vegetarian eating. But that doesn’t mean being clothesfree, practicing yoga, or abstaining from meat is something that defines them. Each of these interests will occupy different portions of someone’s life. However, the simple fact that someone openly enjoys any of these things tends to “normalize” that interest to everyone who knows the person. Consequently, the interest can become more understandable and acceptable to everyone else.


  7. Naked fundraiser at botanic gardens hailed a success

    England has many impressive privately-owned gardens, thanks to centuries of wealthy owners of private country estates who devoted part of their leisure time to overseeing the cultivation of stately gardens. Some of these gardens have been open for visits from the public (for a modest fee), and also for private events, such as weddings, parties, and business meetings. A few of these gardens have hosted occasional clothing-optional events for naturists. The Abbey House Gardens is perhaps the best-known of this number.

    As noted here, the Fullers Mill Garden hosted an clothing-optional event on the evening of August 9. It was arranged by British Naturism, and a large part of the proceeds from ticket sales was contributed to charity. According to the news article, the event was “hailed as a success”. Sadly, the U. S. has fewer private venues of this sort, since experiencing this kind of splendid garden seems perfect for being enjoyed naked.

Naturist New Year’s resolutions

Sure, you may already have a list of resolutions for the new year – which, if things go as usual, you may not manage to fully keep. So having more suggestions might not be what you were hoping for. However, since you’re a naturist, or at least may have seriously considered becoming one, there are some important resolutions you should consider adding to the list.

If you’re curious enough about naturism to be reading a blog like this, one of the most important things you could be thinking about for the coming year is how to spend a lot more time being naked. So if it would help to keep things simple, here’s the single resolution that should go on your list:

This year I’m going to step up my involvement in naturist activities.

Continue reading “Naturist New Year’s resolutions”

Are there many people who enjoy nudity at home but don’t visit nude beaches and resorts?

Naturism is often thought of as enjoying nudity in the presence of others (not in one’s immediate family) by sunbathing and skinny-dipping at clothing-optional beaches, being naked while hiking or camping in remote places, visiting naturist campgrounds and resorts near where one lives, or traveling (for those who can afford it) to well-known large-scale naturist facilities in countries like France, Spain, or Croatia. That’s certainly what most national and regional naturist organizations have usually promoted (sometimes under the label of “nude recreation”) – at least before Covid-19 arrived.

But what about enjoying frequent nudity right in one’s own home and back yard? Haven’t significant numbers of people been doing that for decades, even before the pandemic? Isn’t that just as much “real” naturism too – and possibly something enjoyed by far more people?
Continue reading “Are there many people who enjoy nudity at home but don’t visit nude beaches and resorts?”

Seriously, why might you really want to have a naked lifestyle?

Yes, of course, being totally naked just plain feels great – at least under the right conditions of temperature, social and physical environment, etc. But there’s more to life than just feeling great, isn’t there? Other good responses that answer the question “Why be naked?” are many and varied.

The reasons for wearing nothing whenever possible go well beyond just how great it feels. There are various good reasons why being clothesfree is a healthy lifestyle, both physically and psychologically. But there’s a lot more than that. Some of the best reasons for naked living, however, are subtle and more difficult to articulate. Here are some possibilities to consider for choosing to live naked:

  1. Being unencumbered by any clothing – even shoes – allows you to feel much closer to the natural world.
  2. When you’re completely naked, there are fewer inessential barriers – emotionally as well as physically – between yourself and others – especially (but not only) when everyone around you is naked too.
  3. Dispensing with clothes eliminates the possibility – and the burden – of using clothes as a type of armor or disguise to unnecessarily protect or conceal yourself from others.
  4. Living naked challenges you to accept and be at ease with yourself and your body just as they are, without pretense, embarrassment, or shame.
  5. When people interact without the misdirection of clothing, the value of “authenticity” is easier to appreciate.
  6. Without the artifice or distraction of any clothes, it’s easier to think about and discuss with others things that matter more than physical appearance or mundane trivia.
  7. With others who are naked it’s easier and less awkward to have honest, useful conversations about your body and theirs – including topics related to nakedness itself.
  8. When you’re comfortable being naked with others, you’re predisposed to feel more at ease, closer, and more trusting. Being naked is an offer of trust.
  9. Makng strong, satisfying friendships with others who enjoy nudity is easier because of the significant interest existing in common.
  10. Elminating clothes from your life as much as possible leads you to question more seriously what is important and real around you and disregard things that are neither.
  11. When we’re wearing nothing at all, it’s easier (in Shakespeare’s words) to “speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.”

Image credit: Mona Kuhn

“I just don’t wear clothes very much anymore unless I have to…”

That’s something you’ll hear from many naturists, unsurprisingly. Perhaps you’ve actually thought or even said something like that yourself. If so, great! Otherwise, can you imagine yourself doing that? It would mean you’ve realized that something most people regard as obviously essential – namely, wearing clothes – really isn’t essential at all much of the time. Being usually naked when possible is a conscious, intentional decision you could make. Or maybe it’s just something you might gradually find yourself doing – and enjoying. But the fact is, having a naked lifestyle is actually practicable.
Continue reading ““I just don’t wear clothes very much anymore unless I have to…””

Ideas for enjoying nudity while social distancing, part 2

Many naturists now find themselves having more free time at home because of the pandemic, either because they now work from home, aren’t yet able to go back to work, or simply aren’t able to engage in some of their customary activities.

In the previous article we looked at additional suggestions for activities that can be enjoyed clothesfree at home, based on 6 of the 14 ideas suggested in a Naked Wanderings article. But there are other good ideas to consider that weren’t among the 14 – yet should have been.
Continue reading “Ideas for enjoying nudity while social distancing, part 2”

Ideas for enjoying nudity while social distancing, part 1

Since the pandemic certainly isn’t over yet, many people will continue spending much more time at home than they did just a few months ago. Whether or not that’s by personal preference, the upside for naturists is the opportunity to spend much more of their time naked in their own homes. Sadly, however, many people have suffered a difficult loss of income, so they simply won’t be able to pursue activities that are no longer affordable, such as using gyms, traveling away from home, or even paying for cable channels they like.

Even if people can continue to work from home at their usual job, they may well find they have more “free” time than previously. Not having to commute to work can save a lot of time. Vacations involving air travel will be much less of interest. Many free-time activities – such as shopping or going to sporting events – may also be less available. And many naturist campgrounds and resorts will be unable to have their usual number of visitors. Some will be fortunate if they can even stay in business.

So, like most other people, naturists will probably have more free time than they’ve been accustomed to. That’s good news, and for naturists it means that not only they can be naked more of the time, but also they can try out new activities where nudity is especially appropriate.
Continue reading “Ideas for enjoying nudity while social distancing, part 1”

Recent articles on nudity and naturism, 6/5/20

  1. I want the world to know…

    What is it that a member of British Naturism – who wrote a brief testimonial – wants the world to know? Why, of course, that he’s very happy to be able to live a significant part of his life naked. In his own words:
    Discovering Naturism is often a turning point in people’s lives. New Naturists tell us all the time how great they feel, how they now can’t imagine life without the opportunity to be happily naked and be part of such a strong, welcoming, non-judgemental community.

    This should be a reminder for all naturists that being able to enjoy a naked lifestyle is a gift of fortunate circumstances – one to be thankful for, since it isn’t automatically available to everyone. For many, it may not be easily within reach, due to various factors, such as opposition from family and/or friends, residence in a place that’s hostile to naturism and nudity, or health problems.

    There are probably two main obstacles for most people to overcome in order to realize a naked lifestyle. The first is having the desire and courage to begin at all, in spite of the difficulties that may need to be overcome. The second is a little more subtle. In order to fully enjoy living naked, it’s important to be as open as possible with most of one’s family, friends, and (often) neighbors and workplace associates. Otherwise, there’ll probably be limits to how much nudity can be enjoyed.

    Here’s the basic truth: Living naked is healthy – physically and emotionally. It’s nothing to be embarrassed or secretive about. Try to let as many people as possible know that. You may be able to motivate others to try naked living too – which will make that easier for you as well. Sharing this lifestyle with others you know is a reward in itself.

  2. I had a dream… and it came true


    Kate is a relatively new naturist blogger – her first post was last November. In it she relates a story of rare and rather amazing good fortune. That was to have a fortuitous meeting with the author of a New Zealand guide book – which she’d already found to be an exceptionally good guide to many of the spectacular wild natural places of the country.

    The result was a fast friendship, which consequently launched her on an unexpected quest to, as she explains, “help put a stop to the body-shaming and judgment we force on each other and set people free to have fun with their fabulous bodies in the fabulous natural world.” Kate’s blog is no ordinary naturist blog that merely doles out some mix of personal opinions and helpful advice on how to enjoy a lifestyle in which nudity plays a central role.

    In the post linked here, from April, about five months after the first, Kate explains her dream. In her own words,
    At the beginning of this summer [which, in New Zealand, begins in November] I had a dream of getting multiple people naked in nature together. I had a fantasy (in the most innocent, non-sexual way) of having a group of around a dozen people all get naked and leap in the water together. A fantasy of creating my own tribe of like-minded people. Of building a community of friends who share the same love of nature and freedom as me. I dreamed of being able to help others push their boundaries and experience some liberation.

    That sounds a lot like the ambition of many naturist leaders over the past century. If there were no more to the dream, it would seem a bit hedonistic. But there’s a lot more to it. New Zealand is known for having one of the planet’s most open-minded and intelligent societies. The country is mainly two islands, and much of it is still in a fairly natural state – spectacularly so in many places. There are plenty of excellent beaches.

    According to the New Zealand Naturist Federation, “In New Zealand, it is legal to be naked in appropriate public places, such as beaches. It is not the lack of clothes that is the issue but the behaviour that goes with it. Nonetheless, while laws that specifically prohibit nudity and equate it with “indecent exposure” are rare, that should not be taken as an invitation to get naked “anytime, anyplace.””

    Kate’s ambition has been to put together a quality guidebook to as many as possible of the best natural places in the country where nudity is not only appropriate but clearly the ideal way to experience nature.

    During the past summer, Kate, together with her growing circle of friends, has acquired a wealth of raw material while exploring exactly those places. From that material, she aims to compose a guidebook specifically for adventuresome folks who want to experience nakedly the best that nature has to offer. She concludes:
    We’ve had our summer of fun, frolicking hither and thither, meeting new people and going on great naked adventures. Now we have enough content to fill multiple books! Time to knuckle down and do the office work. This dream is just as scary for me, feels just as fantastical and unattainable. But if I have learnt anything in the last three months, I have learnt that dreams CAN become reality.

    Let’s hope that by the time Kate’s guidebook comes out the worst of the current pandemic is over. Even if some degree of “social distancing” is still necessary, the outdoors is generally the safest place to be – especially anywhere that’s uncrowded enough for nudity to be not at all controversial.

  3. British Naturism Member Makes Headlines by Rowing the Atlantic


    The BN member is Julie Paillin, who was featured in a mainstream news article (link below) as a member of a team that’s “facing the severe endurance challenge of rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. Julie is part of a team of four taking part in the Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge. The team will be the first mixed quad to row the ocean and are doing so to raise money for several charities.” Evidently she won’t be the only one rowing nude, since “Like many of these endurance challenges, the team will be doing much of the rowing nude to reduce friction. As a naturist, this is of course second nature to Julie.”

    While the challenge seems daunting enough – even without the nudity aspect – all team members are amateurs, not professional competitors. But at least they will be in a type of boat that’s made such a trip a number of times. According to the news article, Julie “will be joined by a man and two women, who together hope to row a 28ft boat from the Canary Islands to Antigua… The amateur rowers are believed to be the first mixed team to ever complete the massive race.”

    News article: Naturist mum rows naked to prepare for 3,000-mile trek across the Atlantic

  4. Normalizing Nudity


    This is a guest post on the Write Nude blog by Fred (whose own blog is here). The main point is very simple, but can’t be repeated often enough:
    The biggest problem in attempting to normalize nudity is the very secrecy nudists must engage in about their nudist activities. It is a self-reinforcing cycle. You’re hiding because you fear getting in “trouble” if you are “outed.” At the very same time, hiding reinforces the notion that what you are doing is nefarious. Others will say, “If you really felt the way you say, you wouldn’t be so secretive about it.”

    Fred’s point is absolutely correct. It echoes the ideas in the testimonial discussed above (Item 1). That is: naturists need to share with others what’s so great about naturism. This is also an aspect of Kate’s vision for her guidebook.

    Secrecy is the bane of naturism. Many naturists are very secretive about enjoying nudity socially – or even enjoying it occasionally by themselves. It’s the same problem as LGBTQ people faced in the past – and still do in most backward societies (and even with many people in societies that consider themselves less backward).

    There are two somewhat distinct adverse effects of the secrecy. First, as Fred points out, being secretive about having a positive attitude towards nudity and naturism causes other people to think there must be something wrong with it. The reasoning is that if the holder of the attitude didn’t agree with the wrongness on some level, the secretiveness would be unnecessary.

    Naturists can deal with that reasoning by pointing out that the assumed reason for secretiveness is mistaken. The actual reason is a legitimate fear of adverse effects on naturists due to the unjustified negative attitudes that society has towards nudity. Obviously, but unfortunately, naturists are reluctant to make that argument if they don’t think they can persuade others that the negative attitudes are unjustified. (For naturists who’re willing to try persuading anyone why the attitudes are unjustified I went into some detail in this post.)

    A second adverse effect of the secrecy is that society is simply unaware that positive attitudes towards nonsexual nudity and naturism are as prevalent as they actually are. Most people (at least in the U. S.) probably think that nudity and naturism are embraced by fewer than 1% of the population. Why? Simply, because of the secrecy, most people probably aren’t aware of any naturists among their acquaintances.

    Estimating fairly accurately the percentage of a given population having positive attitudes towards nudity and naturism is difficult. Some surveys suggest percentages much higher than 1%. In some European countries, like France and Germany, perhaps 20% or more of the population may occasionally, if not more often, strip off at clothing-optional beaches, get naked at public spas, visit naturist campgrounds or resorts, or simply enjoy nudity at home. The percentages in the U. S. and similar countries could be closer to 10%. But – because of the secrecy – who really knows?


  5. World Naked Gardening Day 2020

    WNGD 2020 (in the northern hemisphere) is already past – but that doesn’t mean being naked to do your gardening (if it’s something you enjoy) is no longer an option. If the location of your garden gives you enough privacy, you might as well always be naked while working there (weather permitting). Were you gardening naked on May 2 without objection from your neighbors? If so you can probably continue that way – without really needing the excuse that May 2 was the “official” day for it. (Unless you’re the sort of person who can dress in an unconventional way – just because you feel like it – only on Halloween.)

    Surprisingly, the idea for World Naked Gardening Day was actually conceived by a U. S. naturist – Mark Storey – and the first occurred in 2005. (Reference.) I actually wrote about it back then.

    The idea did spread worldwide – and it’s even observed in the southern hemisphere – although on a different day down there. (See this post.)

    For another take on WNGD, see this article by naturist Linda Weber – who also wrote a good article on her positive experiences at Haulover Beach, discussed here.


  6. Nude Online Meetups: The Next Step in Social Naturism?
    Here’s another take on how to enjoy social nudity during a pandemic – or anytime naked socializing is impractical – by interacting with other naturists using video conferencing with tools like Zoom. After some downbeat observations on earlier forms of online naturism, Nick & Lins get around to their account of their online meeting with Dan Carlson et al – which has already been covered here from Dan’s side. More on the general subject is here.

    Although Nick & Lins were skeptical at first, their interaction with the Carlsons seems to have changed their mind:
    What we half expected to be an awkward fifteen minutes or so video chat with a guy who we hadn’t even met in person, turned out to be a fun evening filled with wine and great conversations. We got to meet Dan’s wife, their dog and Addie, a regular at the Carlsons and an occasional guest blogger on The Meandering Naturist blog.

    What is it that makes video interaction much better than text-only conversations on naturist forums or social networking sites? Many things, such as:

    • Physical appearance of the participants. Not so much their physical attributes, but the way they present themselves through facial expressions, mannerisms, gestures, and other body language.
    • The tone of voice and speaking style of the participants.
    • The degree that participants respond appropriately with laughter, concern, or empathy to each others’ remarks.
    • How readily, thoughtfully, and coherently they contribute to the conversation.
    • How politely and respectfully participants interact with each other and avoid dominating the conversation.
    • Various other factors that reveal the unique personalities of each participant.