(Pt. 2) #Nudism & #Naturism were not a part of my original upbringing. There were no early years. No influential articles. No knowledge of its existence. Like many, my first exposure to #nekkidpeople was through playboy magazines stolen from their father's hidden stash.

(3) My original experience to #naturism as well as #socialnudity was through the #sauna - and I was well into my 20's when that happened (you could say I was a late bloomer). These experiences were novel, exciting, liberating, but also rare. It would be 15 more years before..

(4)... I tried #socialnudism again. Sporadically however, I was also beginning to dabble in home-bound nudism; much to my wife's chagrin. This collection of experiences would slowly come together and become part of my self-understanding. FF to 2013 when I stepped back out...

(5) ... to social nudity. That time, however, I dove in and expanded the experience to include a full day's #freehike in the mountains of Colorado, as well as some conversations with other #naturists and a dip in the outdoor hot tub. It was, to say the least, liberating.

(6) By now, I'm a frequent #nudist at home. My wife has become far more accustomed to it, sleeps naked herself, and our home sauna now encourages frequent nudity for both of us. But, I've often wondered... WHY? Why is personal and social nudity so controversial? WHY...

(7) I've been thinking about the WHYs for a while. WHY is being naked taboo? Why is being naked great? Why is it so complicated... Well, for me at least, I've realized an answer that speaks to the novelty of nudity and may also be a useful tool in #NormalisingNaturism .

(8) It came to me while recanting my appreciation for craft beer. Not because of the beer itself, but because of the re-awakening of the cultural appreciation of good quality. Craft beer exposed me to better quality and better taste; not just for beer, but for food also.

(9) Because of our culture's increasing appreciation of better taste, #Foodie culture has become normalized. Foodies reinforce and support an appreciation of good taste. Then I realized all the normal human senses have enthusiast groups... except one. Hear me out...

(10) #Audiophiles support us to appreciate immersive auditory experiences. #Cinephiles , #photographers , #painters , & more all support us to appreciate the visual beauty of the world. #Oenophiles teach us to "listen to your nose" and notice complex, subtle smells through wine.

(11) #Foodies , restaurants, brewers, and more all bring us reasons to appreciate taste. But there are few means to cultivate and curate an appreciation for touch. I actually don't know of any professional league or guild of "touch" enthusiasts. Enter #nudism ...

(13) To bring this around and wrap it up: It is now my approach to understanding naturism as being directly synonymous with being a foodie or music enthusiast. To be a #naturist is to be a curator of touch experiences. To be a naturist is to sense the world... not through sound,

(14) ... but through the skin's sensation of touch. #Nudists collect feeling experiences by laying naked in the sun, by walking naked in a summer rain, by hiking through a cool forest, by sensing the full extent of a cool breeze over the entirety of one's uncloaked body...

(15)...by feeling the crisp air of autumn on one's cheeks, and by the unique understanding that not every winter's chill is always so chilly. As #naturists we are ambassadors to the sensation of touch. As naturists, we are uniquely qualified to describe the value...

(16)...to teach the intrinsic value of being #naked from time to time. As #naturists we have the power to bring the shame of nudity out from the darkened closets of human consciousness and into the acceptance of daylight. By working to #normalizenaturism , #nudists can...

(17) ... shepherd a better understanding of what it is to be human by embracing the 5th and least appreciated sensation, the #sensory #experience of touch. #normalizenudity #normalizenaturism #normalizenudism I hope you share these thoughts if you found them helpful. Thank you

@FreeHikr I don’t know if it’s touch so much for me, as it is the subtle (and welcome) awareness that I no longer have the weight of clothes on me. I suppose it’s something like what a horse feels when its rider dismounts. This is the liberating part of nudism, and makes me feel new again.

@martin_desnudo That’s a good point and something I feel also. I would probably consider that in the same sensation.