Morning Julia,
Many thanks for the welcome and yes evryone has done that for me too :-)
John
That is great to hear John and Julia. We like to encourage ANW to feel like a global online version of a local club, ideally one big happy family!
Hi, I’m Eric and I live in small town in Southwest Michigan in the U.S. I am 65, married, with 5 grown kids and my 10th grandchild on the way. I still work as a counselor and plan to do so for a few more years.
I grew up in a home where my parents were very reserved and were always dressed in front of me and my older sister. As a teenager I found myself wanting to be naked when no one was home. I even had the chance to remove my swimsuit when I was in our backyard pool “alone”. Not until I traveled the U.S. by myself at 19 did, I experience naturism. Some locals in California pointed me in the direction of Pirates Cove beach. That was a scary and amazing experience. It was my first foray into social nudity and I felt free and confident. When I was first married my wife and I visited San Diego twice and visited Black’s Beach. That was also amazing, however, my wife’s involvement in naturism was short lived. Most of our marriage we have lived a clothed life. When our kid’s left home I became more and more likely to be naked at home. My wife is okay with that.
One of my passions is running and triathlons. About 7 years ago I saw a promotion on a running website for a naked 5k. It was being held at Turtle Lake Resort about an hour from where we live. I signed up and did the race. Besides the joy of running naked I met and hung out with lots of great people that day. That has led to a progressive journey into social nudity at Turtle Lake and a closer resort, Forest Hills Club. More than just enjoyable events I have gained a greater appreciation and connection with my own body, with many great people and with living as much as possible without clothes. My wife is supportive and I would love her to experience this but I appreciate her making her own decisions and living in a way that works for her.
Since 2020 we have lived on a lake. Public nudity is not legal in Michigan. However, pre-dawn training swims, are a great opportunity to go sans swimsuit without disturbing anyone.
I am so grateful for Steve and Anna’s vision with ANW. The past month I have taken the plunge as a verified lifetime member. Connecting and sharing with others in a safe forum has been amazing.
I am so glad to be here.
Thanks for sharing this background story Eric. A fascinating read. It has been great to meet you "in person" a couple of times at the Live Meets too.
Thanks also for the lovely things you said about ANW, it is so wonderful to read and to have you as part of this community.
Can I ask when you travelled at 19 did you have trying naturism in mind as part of your travel plans? Like yourself I loved being naked at home when I had the house to myself both in my single digit years and during my teens. I found that by the time I was heading into my twenties I really wanted to try naturism one day and researched an area in France to give it a go and planned a holiday with the hope of finding the courage to try it.
Steve
When I was 19 my trip to California was part of a bigger 6 week drive from Michigan through many of the western states. I did have an awareness of the nude beaches in California but relied on locals to find them. The prospect of going to a nude beach was definitely something I hoped for. It really validated my desire to be clothes free in nature and with other people. It was very impactful.
