Not long ago, I would’ve told you that my family was like most others when it came to how we dressed at home. We didn’t walk around in our underwear, and definitely never naked. That’s why I was shocked when my parents told me we were going to a nudist resort for our family vacation. I was immediately filled with a lot of different feelings. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd seen my dad naked. It all sounded weird and gross!

We were sitting at the kitchen table when my mom dropped the nudist bombshell. “We’re going to spend our vaction at a nudist resort!” I just stared at her. My little sister, Bella, who is only 7, thought it sounded fun and my 10 year old, brother got all squirmy; not sure what to do. Bella probably thought it was just another trip to the beach or something. But I knew it was more than that. I looked at my parents, thinking they were kidding and waiting for them to burst out laughing because they’d tricked me. I couldn’t imagine taking my clothes off in front of strangers, let alone spend an entire month with no clothes at all.

But they weren’t kidding.

I was pretty sure I was going to hate it. I had this image in my head of walking around naked in front of a crowd of people, feeling embarrassed. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t really have a choice. Our cabin was booked and we were going, and I had to go along with it.

To get ready for the trip, my family started wearing less and less clothing around the house. My brother and sister were naked all of the time. It wasn't so much of a new trend to see my sister naked aince she was so young, but my brother went from 0-100. After that first dinner discussion and the only time I saw him in clothes was on the bus to school. My parents eased us into their nudity by wearing either just their robe or underwear and leaving the bathroom door open while they showered or changed.

Everyone seemed to be going along with it, but I still wasn’t sure.

When we finally arrived at the resort, I felt a knot in my stomach. The first thing I noticed was how… normal everyone seemed. There were families, people of all ages, playing volleyball, swimming in the pool, and walking around, all totally naked. What was weird was no one seemed bothered by it at all. My family and I went to the check-in desk, and I couldn’t stop staring at the people around us. Some were old, some were young, all just going about life like it was the most normal thing in the world.

The first day was the hardest. We went to the pool, and my parents encouraged me to join everyone in the pool (which means being nude), but didn't force me. I kept stalling, and they didn’t push it.

Daniel and Bella had torn their clothes off as soon as we got out of the car and were running around, excited to jump into the water.

Finally, it became too hot to sit on the side of the pool fully dressed, so I did it! I stripped naked and jumped in!

At first, I felt really weird. I kept thinking about how everyone could see my entire body, including some boys and who were my age. But after a few minutes, I realized something—It was fun. I wasn’t cold or uncomfortable. It wasn’t as awkward as I thought I’d be.

By the end of the first day, I didn’t rush to put my clothes back on. I felt free. For the next week, I spent every day swimming, playing games, and hanging out with my family and other kids, all without clothes.

I couldn’t believe how much I liked being naked. But what was weirder was that the longer I was naked the less I felt naked and the less I noticed others being naked. But, the most surprising part of all of this? I didn’t want to leave. I had never felt so comfortable in my own skin. The anxiety and fear that had built up in my mind before we got there disappeared. It was like everything I had imagined was way worse than the reality. People didn’t point and laugh at me as I imagined they would. By the time we’d left countless people had seen all of me, including the parts most people never share and I didn’t care at all.

Sometimes, people talk about nudism like it’s something strange or even wrong. I know I used to! But now, I don’t understand why anyone would think that. It’s just about being comfortable, and it’s not uncomfortable at all once you get used to it. I’m glad my parents decided to take us, and that I gave it a chance. It wasn’t what I expected—it was so much better. I can’t wait to go back again!