The moral of this story is that you can find your self confidence in the oddest of places if you step out of your comfort zone.
I gave the ending of my story first, but it’s mine and I can tell it any way I want to. Besides, I made you look!
We boarded the van after our flight into Punta Cana, ready to be at our journey’s end. The lady in front of me turned around and asked which resort we were staying at. Her face lit up when I told her and she exclaimed that she and her husband were staying at the same one. She spent the next 35 minutes telling me how much fun they have and all of the activities they do on the beach, from volleyball, to bocce ball, and bingo, and karaoke. She said that they met 5 other couples there every year and had for the last few years, then she invited us to join in when we got there.
We parted ways with the couple when we got to the hotel and got settled in. We had lunch and made our way to the beach. As we set up our chairs and got our drinks, I looked around and didn’t see any of this “fun” that the lady had been going on and on about. I figured that maybe the other couples hadn’t arrived yet. We spent the rest of the day like lumps on the beach like everyone else, reading, napping, and ignoring each other.
After dinner, we went looking for some live entertainment in the bars on the resort and ran into the couple. Ted said that they had been waiting for us and were disappointed that we hadn’t shown up. We explained that we were indeed at the beach and hadn’t seen them. Ted smiled, “you weren’t at the nude beach.” My jaw dropped! “Nude beach?”, I asked.
There was a second, private beach on this resort. It was for nude sunbathers. You could only go as a couple, no single people. There were no cameras, clothing, or any romantic advances allowed.
I nervously giggled when Ted and Sue insisted that we go down to the beach with them the next morning. I was damn near a prude back then and very self conscious of my looks and body. I told them that we would think about it. We mingled with the other couples and as we were about to all part ways, they asked one last time if we would be going. I laughed and said that we would, but they had all better stand up and give me a standing ovation when I stripped.
The next morning came way too soon. I cannot tell you how many times we almost backed out, but we walked onto that beach like troopers. I found a corner lounge chair by the pool and felt every eye on me. I may be many things, but a quitter isn’t one of them, so I shimmied out of my cover up and stood naked in public for the very first time. Chairs scooted out and people on the whole beach stood up and the clapping and cheering roared in my ears! I took a bow and laughed.
In my fear and focus of my flaws, I had forgotten the conversation the night before. In that moment I felt beautiful and accepted for myself. I felt light and free. I spent the week naked as much as I could. I still think about that amazing week and how I learned to embrace my self confidence.
