It was the summer of 2018. Earlier that spring, I decided I needed a break from my draining corporate compliance job at a giant French bank.
Sure, I could’ve asked my manager about the possibility of extending my contract. After all, I knew I was one of his favored staff members — I was the only tri-lingual (Spanish~French~English) speaker on his team, and clients [mostly] appreciated my no-BS approach to handling their account reviews.
But I was exhausted.
So instead of seeking to make more money, I met with my manager to let him know I’d be ending my contract at the end of June to spend two months trekking the U.K., the Mediterranean, and whatever European country called me.
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An Insecure Roommate
Arriving at the hostel, I’d be rooming with 5 other women. They were all easygoing, and friendly, but two in particular almost immediately clicked with me.
Mariela, a Brazilian free spirit femme who’d been traveling the globe for the past year, and a somewhat reserved French nurse, Chloé (not their real names). Talking about our trekking experiences and what we wanted to do on the beautiful island of Brač, I mentioned that I’d never gone to a nude beach.
Since Mariela had different plans for her second day, it would only be me and Chloé for sun-lounging. But Chloé confided to being uncomfortable about going nude. I was shocked and told her so.
In my culture, we’re [Puerto Ricans] taught to hide our bodies, that being nude is only for babies. But, you’re French — aren’t you accustomed to being less inhibited about such matters?
Chloé agreed that ‘generally speaking’ the French don’t have those issues that people in the U.S. or other more conservative places. Still, she was shy about it. Not wanting to alienate her, I didn’t push it.
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An Adventure Begins
Our shared mini-van dropped us off at the roadside from where we’d walk down to the famed Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn) beach. Dotted with blankets and umbrellas, topless femmes, and loads of other sun worshippers, we scoured the area for our spot.
Finding a tree close enough to the water’s edge, we claimed it as ours and set our towels beside each other. Basking in the gentle breeze, experiencing the beauty of the Adriatic Sea, and enjoying the start of a fun-filled day, we had the biggest smiles on our faces.
We gathered our sunscreen and began to generously apply it. On this demure side of the beach there were a few topless persons, but otherwise, the rest were like Chloé and me — bikini or swimsuit clad. After a few hours of chilling (and taking a dip), I had an idea. I was still curious about the other side….I’d never been to a nudist beach and I really wanted to give it a try.
But, I remembered our conversation back at the hostel and didn’t know how Chloé would react. So sitting up, I started looking around to see where the nude section was. Catching it, I smiled at her.
Tu veux y aller?
She knew exactly what I was referring to and simply smiled back at me. Reassuring her, I suggested we can just go take a quick peek. She agreed.
Since we’d brought extra towels, we left our stuff under the tree [so we could return without losing our spot]. We each grabbed a small tote for our wallets, cellphones and towels, and headed over to the other side.
Spotting a big rock near the water, we set our belongings down and looked at each other.
On y va!
Quickly removing our sundresses and our bathing suits, we ran into the water. As I type this I’m smiling because I remember how giddy I felt.
Experiencing the coolness caressing my bare breasts, feeling the seawater’s soothing calm against my buttocks and inner thighs, seeing the smile on Chloé’s face — it was all bliss.
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A Beautiful Body
We are born naked. This is our natural state and in adulthood, depending on a number of factors (e.g., our culture, comfort level, health, intimate circle), we may be reluctant to expose our birthday suits to others. And while I’ve definitely come a long way from that shy little girl I used to be, I certainly had a few reservations about baring it all on the beautiful beaches of Brač.
That was August 2018.
I’ve never gone to a nude beach again, but I had gone topless and even danced nude in a rainstorm on the terrace of my partner’s home. There’s much I’ve learned [and still learning] since taking a dip in the buff nearly five years ago.
- Self-love — appreciating our bodies for their beauty is a gift
- Release expectations — ignore what others may or may not say
- Liberating — enjoying nature naked is a unique kind of joy
- Empowerment — giving myself permission to take risks
Here in Borikén, there are no nude beaches, but that hasn’t stopped me from sleeping naked or waking around my home naked. As much as I have a strong cultural identity, and am proud of my roots, I now understand it was this same upbringing that prevented me from feeling completely comfortable with nudity (outside of the bathroom).
The island of Brač and that afternoon connecting with Chloé remain warm memories in my heart. I now look at nudity much differently — in a healthier, non-judgemental way — because my body is beautiful and so is yours!
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The original version of this article was published on my travel blog, La Trekista in May 2021 (note: it shows as May 2023 due to an image update item).
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Ante Hamersmit on Unsplash
