"Excuse me, would it be totally awkward if you took a picture of us? This is our first time at a nude beach?"
"Honey, this whole place is filled with nude people daily. That's the least awkward thing."
Studying abroad includes several amazing experiences, including the opportunity to explore firsthand a new range of customs. This past summer, a group of my fellow fashion students and I embarked on a two-week study abroad tour including stops in Berlin and Munich. Each city we had free days, and after being told and shown by our lovely guide Ralph where the nude beach was - well, more like a nude park - we immediately added it to our free day list.
We arrived at 11 a.m. with towels, sunscreen and reading material in hand. We walked through the dewy grass to a spot near a few trees and a few other early sunbathers in an attempt to not lay right next to the countless people walking through the English Gardens. After laying out our towels and taking in the scene we decided the best way to proceed was to just go for it - rip off our bathing suits like one would rip off a Band-Aid. At first, it was mildly awkward being so open and free - literally. But as the day went on and more people joined the nude scene, it surprisingly became more comforting.
Yes, there were plenty of old men sprawled out on the lawn occasionally getting up to our dismay to play with their dogs in full nudity. And of course, there were the older women enjoying the sun in all its glory. What amazed me about this particular nude beach was that, as much nudity as there was, there were plenty of people wandering about the grounds fully clothed not giving a care in the world about the naked group of women laying on their towels. It was just another normal day in Germany.
In America, we shun women and men for dressing "scandalously," including a hole above the thigh in a pair of jeans or if the shoulder straps of a T-shirt aren't two fingers width. We promote fully covering our skin, yet flaunt advertisements of bare-skinned models Photoshopped to perfection and consider it "beautiful." When did showing our skin become awkward and uncomfortable? When did it become inappropriate to show skin, deeming it perverted and distracting, when it is the most natural thing in the world. In Europe, where nude beaches are a cultural norm, take one look around and it becomes apparent that these individuals are happier with their bodies and are comfortable in their own skin. People are less focused on their appearance as a whole, but rather what their bodies are capable of doing and what their minds can create. They understand that being nude is healthy, empowering and just plain natural.
Strutting your birthday suit is more than just natural, but healthy. Scientists have found it helps aid in circulation, since you don't have the pressure of clothing, you receive more vitamin D and it reduces the amount of clothing waste you produce. Not only that, but it also increases your tolerance for others and their way of life. I experienced this first hand as I now I find myself more accepting of others choices and the way they identify themselves sexually, religiously and any other way they chose to live their life.
If you find yourself stumbling upon a nude beach I highly recommend giving it a try with a few key points: be open minded and don't forget sunscreen! Remember, there are parts of us that have never seen the light of day. Soaking up some sun at a nude beach was liberating and mind opening about how I think about my body.
