in the buff
i've said before that some of my happiest memories have been when i've been naked. and though sex has certainly fit the bill for more than a few of these, there are others better suited for public consumption.
doe bay is one of my favorite vacation places ever for its comfort and beauty, the trees and mountains and water are food for the soul. its spring-fed hot tubs, happily clothing optional, are lovely spots for relaxing and good conversation. it's an easy, friendly, safe place for a girl to vacation alone, and on this particular trip i was nursing a broken heart. one night there was a wonderful variety of people enjoying the hot tubs and company, when someone came up to declare that the ocean waters had glowing plankton. "ooh!" cried someone, "but it's so cold!" the strait of juan de fuca in september isn't particularly balmy, but i and another of our group agreed to suffer the frigid waters in order to demonstrate the glowing fun that nature provides, which a few folks among us had never seen. so a dozen naked adults climbed out of the tubs to tiptoe down the path to the beach; giggling like four year-olds allowed to stay up past bedtime. there was a bear of a man ahead of me, wearing nothing but a headlamp and goosebumps, stifling a howl and laughter as he stubbed his toe while passing a cabin full of sleeping vacationers.
making it down to the sand, the two of us waded in while the rest shivered at the water's edge.. sure enough, the water took on a magical green glow when disturbed. people were so intrigued by the beauty that they wandered in themselves despite the serious chill of the water. there we were under the stars, swimming, splashing, whooping, hollering (campers be damned). "i'm making constellations!" "it's like faerie dust!" and i marveled at the variety of bodies, at the variety of our experiences, and at the stars above and below.
the hole in my heart healing, i felt very happy to be alive.