I Was Sentenced for Life, For Skinny Dipping!

Wanna find out what is legal and what is not in New York State?

I Got Life, Just for Skinny Dipping!

Find a Very Remote place to go for a swim. Alone. You will be amazed how fast a State Trooper will show up, even though you had not seen one for hours.

(originally found somewhere on Pinterest ... but I no longer have that link)

 (Well, Wrong Kind of Trooper, But it made me laugh.)

When I was suicidal in 2005, I also was taking care of my everyday basic needs, such as hygiene and eating. In my quest for finding “The Right place to die”, I also managed somehow to find the best things to enjoy in life. It was quite ironic how I found life while seeking death. I did not first notice this, until many years later. It is only now, in 2014, that many of these life-lessons are starting to sink-in. Usually, I discover how valuable the experiences were only after I find old writings expressing my feelings from back then. Yup, even in seeking death, I wrote journals, notes, and sought more than I really knew.

It was August 2005. I managed to find some of the most beautiful places where it seemed no other human existed. I found some of the most pristine, pure, and beautiful places in nature while in New York State. One of the greatest joys I had discovered was to bathe in a creek, or river. Yep, even wanting to die, I still stopped to bathe regularly. It was August, and very hot, humid, and made me want to be clean more than usual. So I often followed roads that I knew would eventually be at a river, stream, lake or pond. Finding water in New York State was never difficult, but I wanted water away from humans, and away from the highways. I seemed to seek solitude more during this seeking of whatever was supposed to be my ultimate destination.

One road I traveled easily 50 miles from the main highway. It was a dirt road, only wide enough for one vehicle, but I knew it would lead me to water … more importantly secluded water. While I had in the previous year come to allow my desire for nakedness to be less hidden, and come a long way in allowing others to see me naked, I still was not fully willing to just be free anywhere any time.

Well, This particular day, I managed to find a great swimming hole at the end of this 50-mile long dirt road. It was Absolutely Perfect! I could tell from the road that it had been days since any vehicle had traveled down this road. (There were no fresh tire tracks.) Also, there was plenty of brush and grass that grew in the road, and none had even been bent-over. When I got to the end of the road, it appeared to be a place an old bridge used-to exist, but that was long ago. The water was not visible from the road. It was beyond a small hill. I stripped right there at my car, only wearing my sandals for climbing the rocks and over the assorted brush. I grabbed my soap, razor, and towel, and happily marched to the water.

Oh, It was perfect! The water was clear, warm enough to stay in for a while, and had plenty of very large rocks along the shore, and in the middle of the river. I did not just immediately wash and shave. I enjoyed the sun, waded, explored, and absolutely enjoyed the freedom. I often wear my sandals in the water, until I know there is nothing that will harm my feet. The river bottom was clean, with soft sand in the calm spots, and smooth rocks in the faster spots. I waded thru a calm spot, and placed my towel, sandals, soap and razor on one of the large rocks in the middle of the river.

I was excited to have found a perfect place to be in nature, clean, and shave. Also simultaneously, I was excited that after I was clean and shaved, I could easily die here.
{{GRAPHIC WARNING!: I describe here how I planned to kill myself... Just to not shock you}}
I had the beautiful idea that in this river, I could simply make sure I was wedged between two large rocks, just barely holding my head above water, crack my skull with a good-sized rock, and go unconscious, immediately forcing my head under the water, and have no chance to change it. It is odd how a suicidal mind works. First my priority was to get clean and fully shaved before I died. Also, by being wedged between the rocks, my body would not simply float down stream, and wash up on a shore to be immediately found. In the water, it would become fish-food, slowly decompose, and wash away in bits, returning completely to nature. To me, this was Perfect!

I swam, and waded quite a distance from my towel. I even found and tried a test-fit for where I thought I could wedge myself. Found a suitable rock to crack my skull, and placed it on top of one of those boulders. Then I heard tires rolling fast over the dirt road. I had been under water quite a bit, so had not heard the tires until the vehicle was really close. I immediately thought “oh no! I will not be alone to die!” Then I thought, whoever it was would see my car at the end of the road, and decide to turn around, since they likely were seeking a place with nobody else. Or there was the possibitly that whoever it was would come, swim then leave. I was not worried, but was a bit curious as to why there would suddenly be someone down here. I had left my car windows down, and doors unlocked, and keys, wallet, and everything else inside, so I was a bit concerned that it might be some backwoods people that seek this sort of opportunity. (Yes even in the desire to die, knowing I would not need the car or stuff inside, it concerned me that someone may be up to no-good.)  But before I could even decide what to do, the vehicle had stopped right by mine, and I could hear what sounded like a police radio. Then I heard his footsteps tromping fast over the hill toward the river. My first thought was “Grab the towel!” But the towel was far from where I was. As soon as he could see me, he yelled that I needed to get out of the water! I swam toward him. The water was totally clear, so he obviously knew I was naked. I asked if he preferred I grabbed my towel first. He said, “No, just get out of the water!”

I could tell from his hat that he was a State Trooper, not just a county Sherriff. Yipes! I thought I was about to be arrested for skinny dipping! Why would a Trooper come all the way down here? Oh my head was spinning.

As I stepped onto the rocks, he asked if I was All Right? I was puzzled, because I still did not know why he was here. I of course was in a confused state of mind, since I was in the middle of planning to die, and his first question was “Are You Alright?” But I reasoned there was no way he could know that. (Could he?) When I left Oregon, I left in a hurry, and likely made some who I had left behind quite concerned, and was not sure if any had sent police looking for me. I was certain some had figured out I was suicidal. Also, while in Nebraska, I ripped up a speeding ticket and threw it on the ground in front of the officer (That is another story all by itself.) So, I really was not sure why this officer was here, and to have him first ask if I was Alright, made me also wonder. I knew I needed to be careful how I answered, and to find out why he was here, or I likely would end up in jail, or a mental-lock-up.  And odd as it may sound, jail was not a place I felt I could survive to kill myself. Yep, the mind of a suicidal person has depths to yet be understood.

He saw my puzzlement, and told me he was concerned if I was alright, since I was swimming alone. That also seemed odd to me, but I went with his direction, so I hopefully would not reveal more of why I was down here. I said I was, and thought it was a perfect place to swim. He asked me to come closer to him, and sit down. I still was not sure what he was up to, but of course I did. I sat in front of him, facing away, thinking once I sat, he would cuff me. He came to the front of me, and sat on a boulder facing me.That made me relax a bit. I asked if I was in trouble? He chuckled and said “Not how you may think.” He told me he saw I was from Oregon, and guessed I did not know the laws in New York State. I admitted I likely did not. (I had a similar encounter in Nebraska, where I learned it was illegal to "camp" in a cornfield, along a canal, or anywhere near a farm, but it was perfectly legal to camp in a city park for free, up to three nights.) 

He asked what I thought he might be here for? (Now he was totally playing with me!) I told Him I really did not know. Told him I thought it was odd that a Trooper would travel 50-miles down a dead-end dirt road, unless he had spotted me doing something wrong up on the highway and it took him this long to catch up to me. He laughed, admitting I was correct. Then quickly assured me he had not spotted me doing anything wrong. But what caught his attention was someone with Oregon plates exploring very remote roads, and when I did not return to the highway in a short time, he wanted to follow and see if I was alright. (Of Course my head was spinning, and I was distracted, so I just accepted what his reason was, not giving it much thought.)

I asked if he knew I would be naked when he approached Me? He said yes, since all my clothes were piled on my car seat.  But clearly naked was not a concern for him. My very first thought was I was gonna be arrested for nakedness, but he made that clear it was not the reason right away. I asked why he was here, since he still had not told me, and clearly he had no problem with me being naked, was sitting on a boulder casually in front of me. He was not at all creepy, or uncomfortable. He did look at my entire body, but more in a curious way, not a leering, ogling, uncomfortable way. He was very comfortable to be near. Which was odd for me, since I was still learning to be seen while naked. I asked what his reason for asking me out of the water was. He grinned and finally told me the Law he needed to enforce. In New York State, it is Illegal to Swim Alone. Period.

In New York State, It is illegal to Swim Alone. It does not matter if it is a puddle, a pond, a stream, a pool, or a river. Any water, you must have someone there with you. I jokingly (and nervously!) told him “Well I was a certified life guard at age of ten, and an expert swimmer, too. He laughed, and said “You cannot save yourself.” He looked at my pile of items on the rock in the river, asked what those were? I told him I hoped to bathe, shave and enjoy some swimming. He glanced at my stubbly bikini region, and grinned. He asked about my travels, and what brought me to New York?”

Yipes! How much did he know, and how much should I say?? Did he know I ran away from Oregon? Was he baiting me? Did he know about the incident in Nebraska?? Did he somehow Know I was planning to kill myself here?? Oh, I was a nervous wreck, and he could see it! He was good! He said, “Never mind about your travels. Let’s talk about your needs right now. Right now you seek to get clean and shave, correct?” I said yes. He clearly could see more than he admitted, yet something in him also showed me he was not going to harm me in any way. He said that since I was not allowed to do that alone, that presented a problem.  I asked if he was allowed to leave and pretend I was not at the water all alone? He said he could not pretend he had not found me here, and he absolutely would not leave me here alone. He pointed at the rock I had placed on top of the boulder. He said “That rock sure is a beauty that you pulled from the water!” I again was caught off-guard! He looked at me, noticing I got nervous. He said, “It is wet, so it stood out, I noticed it had a red-layer imbedded in the grey rock, and wet in the sunlight it sure shines bright! You found The Most beautiful rock in the whole river!” Omigosh! I was freaking out! Did he know?? Or was he truly only noticing the natural beauty of the rock I had selected? I looked at the rock, and sure enough, it really was a beautiful rock! Did he know? Was that why he insisted he could not leave me here alone?

I was faced with needing to get in my car and drive away, or finding a way to get him to leave. I doubted I would succeed in getting him to leave. I decided I had nothing to lose. I got bold, and asked “Well, You are here. Could that count as not being alone?” I seriously thought he would just tell me to get in my  car and leave. He first looked kinda stern at me, then thought about it a second. He knew how to solve the problem. He said he had some reports to write, and it had been a while since he sat by the river and wrote his reports. He got up, said “go about your business, I will be here so you are not alone in the water.” He went over the hill to his car. I went to my supplies out on that rock. When I looked again, he was returning with his clipboard, went and sat under a tree, just a few yards from where I was.

At first I was nervous about actually bathing and possibly shaving in front of him. But he clearly was not giving me a second-look. He truly was writing his reports. I still wondered if he knew?

I first soaped-up while in the water, then climbed up on the rock, and re-soaped so I could use the suds as shaving lubricant. I mention in previous blogs about the infrequency of being able to fully shave my whole body. It had been months, and all I kept shaved was my bikini region. I shaved only my bikini region this time, too. After I rinsed in the water, I gathered my items, and went back to the shore near where he was. He glanced up and down my body, and said “I still have more reports to write, if you want to finish shaving.” I felt a wee-bit mortified that he had noticed so much about me! Now I was suddenly feeling “on display” instead of totally safe. He noticed my change in how I carried myself. He apologized for making me uncomfortable. He meant it, too. He said he would be here for another half-hour if I should decide I wanted more time in the water. Then without a glance, or a word, went back to his work.

I decided to place my items on the shore and go for some more swimming. I went back to where that one rock was on top of the boulder. I held it, admired it. I started crying. I did not want him to notice I was crying, so I placed it back on the boulder, and went under the water where tears do not show. As I came up, I noticed he was watching me quite closely. He had to know… But could he really? I Did notice the free feeling of the water in my bikini area, compared to the not so free feeling where the hair was on the rest of my body. I decided to take him up on his offer and do a full shave. I tried to make sure he did not see me grab my soap and razor, but he looked up and smiled, giving me a “it’s ok” look. Something about him told me I did not need to hide or be embarrased at all in front of him. I thought how odd it was that he came along just before I could kill myself, and also that he was being so careful to make me comfortable, was being so kind, giving, and concerned about how I was, and whether he made me nervous. I decided to shave right there, just a few feet in front of him. He smiled as he did his reports, but something about him made me feel very comfortable near him. I shaved every inch of my body, including my stubbly chin. Oh it felt wonderful!! Shaving in nature is such an awesome experience compared to shaving in a shower!

I knew his half-hour was almost up. I rinsed thoroughly, and went for another decent swim. I went back to the shore and got out near where he was. As I came to the shore, he said with a smile, "Yes, you certainly are an expert swimmer! You stay under water longer than anyone I've known, and if the water was not clear I would have sworn you drowned. But I could see you were swimming long distance under water." (I cringed thinking he really must know, and each time I went under water, he was thinking he would have to rescue me!) He looked-up, glanced up and down my whole body, grinned, then got up and said “My work here is done.”  As I toweled off, he said “Have a good journey. Oh, and there is a perfect campground just North up the road for you about thirty miles, told me the name of the campground. I hope you find what you need.” I asked how he knew what campground was good for me? He grinned, said he knew a lot more about me than I thought he knew. And with that he walked away, got in his car and left.  He knew I would now soon be leaving in my car behind him. How did he know??

I was now really wondering! How much did he know? When and where did he actually spot me in my car, and how long had he followed me? Did he follow me to see if I was trying to commit suicide?? Did he decide that if my priority was to get clean and to shave, and that if he showed me a little love and concern he knew it would go a lot further than any scorning could?  I also now wondered how much of that “law” was for real, and how much was not. (I Later lookedit up, and it was real. In New York State, it is illegal to swim, or be in any water alone.)

I was both really happy, and a bit conflicted. Who was that Trooper, and what did he know? What did he mean about a “perfect campground”?  Before leaving, I glanced once more at that rock, and thought how Ironic that the one I chose already hada streak the same color as Blood in it. I decided I should get dressed and leave before any of the wonderful turned bad.  As I drove out along that dirt road, I pondered a lot. I looked for that Trooper, suspecting he was parked, waiting to see if I would actually leave, or if I would go back to the water. But he had left. He knew he did all he was supposed to do. I could see the whole way out his return-trip tire tracks. At no point did he find a spot to pull off and wait. At the highway, I saw his dirt-tracks onto the pavement went the same way he mentioned about the campground, but I did not give it a second thought.

In my journey of seeking where I needed to go next, I really had no idea, but just went where it felt “right” each time I got to a choice in direction. I really did not consider that I WOULD go camp where this Trooper “suggested”, but that direction up the road seemed to take me where I needed to go.

In the beginning of this writing I mentioned how I kept finding “life” in my quest for death. This day was exactly that. The odd thing was each time I failed at suicide, I actually was learning something more valuable. I did not allow those valuable lessons to sink-in at that time. It would take years for me to truly grasp that I found life while seeking death. This day, and The Trooper were one in many weeks worth of accumulated lessons that would eventually lead me to be the living person I am today.

You probably wonder if I did go to that campground the Trooper mentioned? Yup I did. I almost did not even enter once I saw the list of prices for a night. Part of running away means you have zero resources for income, and you only have what money is in your pocket. Camping at pricey campgrounds is something I typically would avoid, and especially under these circumstances. But something told me I needed to stop at the ranger's office and at least see...

... As I walked into the ranger's office, I was greeted by name. I was a bit surprised to say the least. I asked how he knew my name? The ranger handed me my own Driver's License! Now I was a bit more freaked-out. He apologized, and meant it for freaking me out. He quickly told me my night of camping was already paid for, and my license was just waiting for me to be returned. The nice Ranger showed me on the map where my spot was for the night. He explained "This was The Perfect spot for what I needed tonight." I asked how it was possible that my license was already here, my spot already assigned, and was paid for? He smiled, and said to "Just Enjoy it." He explained the location where my site was would be "A Safe place for the night". I was not sure what exactly he meant by that. He told me to not worry, just go, be free, relax, and to be sure and come see him before I departed the next day.

 I will write more about that campground, The Ranger, and that night in another post. (I mentioned it briefly long ago in a blog about naked campfires, but I barely mentioned it, and did not show the connection to the day leading up to it.)

For now, Know that I am Alive because God sends the right Angels at the right time. (It is ok if you do not believe in God, or in Angels. I will not attempt to force you to believe. I believe.) That Trooper was sent to show me the joys of life, give me the much needed love, and show me he knew without being mean about it. I went away from there confused, of course. I was still wishing I could die, and just decided I would have to wait for the next opportunity, but knew that place was not meant to be where I died. I also found out that night that I would stop trying to find a way to die for many more days. That trooper, and That Campground were the Start of Really Learning what was valuable in Life. I found abundant life in the next few days. But that was not the end of my Suicide attempts.

Why am I writing about such horrific thoughts? Well, you may think the thoughts are horrific. But they are real. I am not the only person whose thinks this way. Suicide is one of the most misunderstood things in our society. If more people understand, and accept that this is real, less people will be shocked when it happens. Also perhaps that Trooper was once suicidal, understands it himself, and knew how to be at the right place, and say the right things to help me to live. There is a misconception that people can prevent suicide. Nope. A person cannot prevent suicide. But that person’s actions can change the path of the one who is suicidal, and that new path can lead the suicidal person to the places they really need to be. If that person lives, they will take the lessons taught on to make a better life, and hopefully help others go where they need to be.

It took me many years of struggles to even be able to talk about my suicide attempts. It is not at easy even after all these years. Although it may seem I am kinda relaxed about it now, and make it every-day conversation, it is always a struggle. It takes a lot to not allow myself to actually feel those emotions again as I am finally able to tell what happened so long ago. I am just glad I am finally able to put some of it into words.

No Matter your struggles, fears, worries, and battles. I can promise you: Someone else in this huge world understands. I Hope you are open to those who come at the right time to be your Angels.

The Joy of Showering Outdoors

Outdoor Showering

Writing yesterday about living in my tent brought back wonderful memories, and events in my life. Outdoor showers are one of those wonderful joys that most people seem to not enjoy… But I absolutely love them!

One of the greatest joys in nature would be the feeling of showering (or bathing) in the open-air. I learned early in life that when one is in a natural setting, naked is mostly acceptable. It seems most outdoor places where people might get dirty, and there is also some sort of facility provided for cleaning-up before leaving, people just do not worry about seeing somebody naked. It seems many places where there is also any kind of water, also provides some system of showering. This does make sense, because it seems that where water is involved, we manage to get ourselves dirtier than when water was not involved. 

No matter how primitive, or elaborate the showering facility was, they always have several similarities. Every one of them is built so they are not fully-enclosed, and have open-air. They always have an outdoor feel, even if they have walls around them. Most do not have more than a simple partition, screen, or small wall to make them seem they are not in the wide-open. Sometimes, they are placed behind a row of bushes, or trees. While most people would not consider just going throughout the day, or activity without the clothes, it is not uncommon to see those same people strip at those showers. Many times, they do so just for a moment so they can wash out their clothes that happened to be filled with silt, sand, and dirt. Then, once they have fully cleaned, they usually put back on the soggy clothes. Most showers at these places also are unisex. They are not designated as either male, or female. They are not inside sex-specific rooms, and nobody makes a big deal out of it. Sometimes you find some that are designated by sex, but they are still fully in the open. Those make me laugh. Why would it matter which nozzle you went to, if you are still showering in a public-view?

People are always funny to watch. Add the act of showering, and they are even funnier! For some reason people act really weird about showering. I have never understood this. Why is showering any different than dressing, changing clothes, or using the toilet? Many of the same people who willingly get dressed, change clothes, or even use the toilet in front of others never seem to feel they need to hide, but when it comes to showering, they freak-out over it. With the exception of locker rooms, I have never felt weird about showering where others see me. (Locker rooms have always creeped me out since I learned what happens in them, and was considered acceptable, and even normal. I was twelve. I have never found a safe men’s locker room in my life!)

Even when I was at my hiding-everything stages, for some reason, I never felt the need to hide, nor ever felt embarrassed when I was showering. I never felt embarrassed, in locker rooms, but I always felt unsafe in any men’s locker room. In any other shower setting, I always felt safe. When another person would enter the bathroom while I was showering, it was never treated like it was weird for the person who felt they needed to enter, or for myself. It never mattered if it was a shower in someone’s home, a shower at the beach, campground, or anyplace else, a shower was always safe, comfortable, and enjoyable. I think much of this comes from my childhood.

As a kid, I often would be naked as much as I could be allowed to do so. I have written much about this wonderful freedom in life. Often others would find ways to be mean to me for being naked, or even when I was changing clothes, so I was always a bit cautious about where and when I would be naked.

But the showering (or bathing), and feeling safe has deeper roots involved. As a tiny tot, those who gave me baths, or showers were always safe, comfortable, and trusted. A bath or shower was always done in a loving, caring way. Often when we were dirty outside, it was not uncommon to be hosed-off before coming inside. So, even if we were wearing clothes, it was a fun excuse to get naked. Even the ones who would never go naked, would willingly do so when it came time for cleaning. Sometimes those who would otherwise never get naked, would purposely get dirty, so they then had a valid excuse to get naked. This was always funny, but that was how they approached it. But rather than someone doing the hosing-off in a harsh way, it was often done as a fun way to get clean. If there were other kids who were also dirty, often we were already naked, and the parent who wished us to be hosed-off would have us hose each other off. This made it fun, and enjoyable, instead of it feeling like some sort of punishment.  It was amazing how much fun getting clean could be! When getting clean, it is expected, and even accepted to be fully naked. Often, it was one of the few times when it was acceptable to acknowledge, notice, discuss, and learn about the differences in each others’ bodies without shame, guilt, or being treated like you did wrong. What a wonderful learning experience! I am not sure why, but nobody was ever mean about the showering, bathing, or hosing-off. Even the meanest people would stop being mean when it involved public bathing, so it helped me to realize that possibly others were ashamed to be seen, and did not dare to bring more attention to themselves. That worked for me! I loved the chance to be naked, and loved the shower, or bath, and it made it all wonderful when I felt safe because of it!

Usually, if you were getting cleaned in an outdoor place, that meant you had been playing, hiking, swimming, or exploring someplace fun! The fun we had always meant we earned that outdoor cleaning. Usually…

…There was only one time I can recall as a kid that I did not enjoy, or have any fun with the outdoor shower. We were at a campground, and we had gotten into some nasty, smelly muck. It was well after dark, and very cold outside. The Only place with running water was the fish-cleaning sink. Mom stripped us and put us in this smelly cast-iron, cold sink. The water was cold, slimy, and smelly. We had to crouch, curl, and get into weird positions just to get the little amount of flowing water on us. Then we had to go to our campsite naked, wet, smelly, and cold. Mom carried all out nasty clothes. My guess was that it was pumped straight from the source where we had gotten into the smelly muck. The next morning, my Dad found a ranger, and asked. Yup! That water was pumped from the same muck… and the drain went right back to the same spot! Its only purpose was for people to clean their fish. Eeeewwww! No wonder I did not enjoy that one!

I know that most people complain about drafty bathrooms, or the cool, if not completely cold when showering in places that are not completely enclosed. The funniest part is that they willingly play and get wet in the same open-air, often in colder water than comes out of the faucet! And when they complain about the cold at places where they have not been in water, my guess is that they have not learned how to properly dress for warmth prior to the showering. These are often the people you see in flimsy clothes, such as most pajamas. Those same people probably do not make their bed toasty-warm, and only barley keep their body-heat up prior to exiting the bed. They do not warm the body, and so they are already cold before going to shower.

I love the feel of showering outdoors! Most of the places I have lived had windows in the shower, so it was always easy to get the fresh, open-air feel. There is nothing better than getting out of a hot shower, and standing in the fresh air to dry off! Whenever I have been someplace without open-air, I try to find a way to get into an open door so I can feel the fresh-air. Often, even places with open windows, I still wish to be fully outside, and in the open air to dry-off. This brings up a point I have never understood: Those same people who would otherwise enter the bathroom, and chat with you while you are in full-view while showering, often act really weird, and find it uncomfortable when they see you outside of the bathroom drying-off in the open doorway. In many places, the only exterior door is the front door. This creates some interesting scenarios. Ironically, some of the best friends I have had were neighbors who I had not previously met until they stumble upon me while I am nekkid after a shower!  

When camping, I absolutely love the showers! I love the feel of getting dirty while camping, but Love to go to bed clean and fresh. I have had the pleasure of camping in every kind of setting you could imagine. I have been to campgrounds that have every possible amenity, and ones that are hardly more than a clearing barely large enough to pitch a tent. I will always find a way to have a shower, or bath before bed, and often again once I have had my morning coffee. I have never seen the need to buy a portable shower. If I cannot find a place to bathe, I will create my own shower.

Creating an outdoor shower when you have no running water is not difficult. Just get a two-gallon jug, and put a small hole in the bottom. Plug the hole with some sort of stopper. In the lid put an assortment of holes. Fill the jug with hot water, screw the lid on, and hang it upside-down above where you wish to shower. The water will not flow out, until you remove the plug in the hole. You can regulate how fast the water flows depending on how big that hole is. I place a rubber-mat on the ground below my feet to keep the dirt from becoming mud, and splattering.

When I lived in my tent in 2009, I often showered in the house, just for the pure simplicity, and convenience. (See previous post titled “Happy Thanksgiving…”) When I showered inside, it was in the evening, usually just before bed. The bathroom was smack in the middle of the house, and in the evening, there was usually activity in the front rooms near the bathroom. Often, there were house guests who may not have been comfortable with my lifestyle, so I always leaned toward the cautious side when I was up at the house. While I never hid my nekkidness, I also did not ever force it on anyone. Shocking unsuspecting people was not something I would willingly choose to do. If they chose to enter the bathroom, or look down the hill to my tent area, that was completely their choice. But to deliberately make yourself be seen is a different situation. I felt it would not be right to either leave the door that faced the main portion of the house wide-open, or to exit the bathroom after showering without anything on. But similarly, the door was never locked, and often other housemates, or those visiting never found it a problem to enter, and use the bathroom when I was showering, or even after when drying off. Often, the door that faced the laundry room, and also had a door to the back yard was left open by those who lived in the house, plus by me, allowing it to feel like it was outside by letting in the fresh air. When I got out of the shower, I would either wear the towel, or just some shorts until I could get outside to dry off in the fresh air.

Because I was living as though I was actually camping, I often did shower down by my tent. In the mornings before work, I often took a quick shower outside. Talk about waking-up refreshed! The morning air was often frosty, and the sun was not yet up when I was getting up for work. I would be outside, and did not even have a fire to warm by. I had hot water, and it felt wonderful, and refreshing! Many times in the late afternoon during the summer, I would happily skip the indoor shower, and enjoy a full shower and shave in the outdoors with a wonderful, warm breeze blowing. On my days off, I Always enjoyed an outdoor shower in the mornings… But I would wait until after I had my coffee, and the sun was shining fully on my shower-spot. There is something just refreshing and wonderful to shower completely free of any walls or barriers. Yes, i was seen often by others, and nobody ever minded, or got weirded-out by this.

When I traveled across the United States in both 2005, and again in 2007, I found some wonderful places to camp! I also found some very unique and wonderful shower-facilities! Most of the places I camped had actual facilities designated for showers. There were a few that did not have any, and I was able to have fun creating my own.  Those that did have facilities were uniquely different from state to state.

In Massachusetts, I camped in an apple orchard that had been converted to a campground. It had a screen-house as a bathroom in the middle of the orchard. Other than a few trees around it, it was fully wide-open, with only screens for walls. There were short partitions on each side of the toilet, but it was open in front and back. There was one interior wall between the sink, and shower. But otherwise, it was completely open. You can read in detail about this place, and how free it was here:
http://enterwithanopenmindorclosedeyes.blogspot.com/2012/04/magic-of-naked-campfires.html

In Iowa, there was a campground along a river where the showers had no roof. The funny thing about having no roof, was there had been a new pedestrian path bridge built to cross the river, and that bridge went directly over the roofless showers. It seemed the bridge was very new, and nobody had gotten around to adding any covering for the showers. But it also did not seem to matter. There was a muddy river flowing just at the bottom of the campground. I say "muddy" because it was literally red. The red clay that washed down this river made it like a mud-bath. That was cool! many people played in the "mud" naked. Yep, kids, adults, dogs... it did not matter. Then after the mud, they would tromp naked and red, covered in mud to the showers. Most only went naked down at the muddy water, and many would cover in a towel to go up to where the showers were, but nobody cared of another saw them naked at all.

In Connecticut, the campground shower had only three walls, and no roof. There was a partition of shrubs separating the men’s from the women’s designated shower rooms. The showers were open-front, and faced out toward the shrubs. Each toilet area was closed-off and mostly private, yet the showers were generally open. And often in a camping environment, it was not uncommon for families to share a shower-area. Since this one was set-up fairly-open, this also was a shared facility, and very comfortably open, and accepting. Occasionally you would see someone attempting to hide, or would shower in a swimsuit, but mostly it was open, and unisex. It was comfortable, and open to the sea-air.

Another campground in Connecticut did not have showers in the campground, but had a row of showers on the hill just above the beach. They had a high-wall on the side facing the street and parking lot, and high walls between each shower-stall. But facing the beach, there was only a short wall. It was on a slight hill, overlooking the beach, so it would be guessed that the designer figured those below on the beach could not see over the wall. But it was in full view of all who went to shower. It seemed to be after the "beach-season" when I was there, so there were not many people along the beach, or at the showers. I enjoyed "showering literally at the beach!" Occasionally, you saw another showering. Some showered naked, some showered in swimsuits. Those walking the beach did not even seem to notice the showers were her.

In Vermont, one campground had pit-toilets, yet had a large unisex shower-building, with not roof. This shower-building  was one large open square concrete room with shower heads all around the walls. There were no partitions, and not even a full set of walls. The entrance was a large, wide opening simply facing the forest, with no partitions to block it. Just one wide-open square gang-shower for all to share at the same time. There were no benches,or even an area that was supposed to remain dry. With no roof, and not even full-walls, I expected cold water. I was surprised to find it had plenty of hot water! It was unusual in how it was built. It was still listed as a campground, yet there was not even a place to pay for a night of camping. The showers were free, too. The camp was very primitive.

At another one in Vermont, even though there were separate Men’s and Women’s restrooms, there was only one shower room. It was a unisex shower room.  When you entered, there was a wall of sinks with full mirrors along the left wall, and a row of six individual shower-stalls along the right wall. Each shower stall was divided from the one next to it by walls, and doors… sort-of. At the front, you enter the individual shower area, through a tavern-style door. These were only half-doors with slats, and only four-feet high. Between the “door” and shower was a dressing/ undressing area. These had five-foot high walls between each. Then the actual shower spaces were separated with six-foot high walls. Keep in mind the wall of mirrors.  

In New York, at an actual Nudist-Camp, They had one indoor unisex bathroom. But the funny part was the showers. On each side of the small bathroom, were two separate showers. Each had full glass sliding doors to close-off the front (the glass was clear, not frosted). The one on the left was marked “Men only”. The one on the right was marked “Women only”. Also funny about this place was that they had four outdoor showers. These showers were randomly throughout the acreage where the campsites were. They were in the wide-open, with no differences, but two were marked “Men only”, and two were marked “Women only”. My guess is that perhaps the state of New York mandates that showers are labeled for each sex. I had visited another nudist camp, but not stayed there before going to this one. I saw the same thing there. There was an outdoor shower facility. This had one wall and a roof. The wall had 6-shower heads along it. Three were marked "Men" and three were marked "Women". As the park guide gave me a tour of the place I laughed about the designations, since there were no walls, or differences at all. She did not understand why I thought this was funny. (I did not stay at that one because the lady just seemed weird to me.)

In Mississippi, I experienced my first “Closet” shower at The Yogi-Bear Campground. The shower building had six individual showers, each located within their own “closet”. Each had its own exterior door, and when you opened it, you saw a space that was exactly 3-feet wide, and 5-feet deep. The shower was 3-feet by 3-feet with a curtain across the front. The other two-feet in front of the shower was supposed to be a dressing area. The roof was barely taller than I was, and the shower-heads were at my chest-height. This is the worst shower design I had ever seen at a campground. I could not imagine anyone thinking such a tiny space was acceptable, let alone imagine shutting yourself into a closet with no windows, no fresh air, and no place to even turn around! I showered in that closet at night, but placed a shoe in front of the door to keep it open. In the morning, I rigged-up my own outdoor shower at my campsite.

In North Carolina, along The Outer Banks, The bathrooms and shower houses were built on tall stilts to be above any high tides, or stormy seas that come across the area. The shower houses had three solid walls, and one screened wall. The screened wall faced out toward the water. The showers were set against the far wall, in individual stalls, but open in the front. Because of the elevated building, and the distance to the showers on the far walls, they were fairly secluded. If people cared to look up from the dirt path along the water, they could see the shower area, but it was not highly visible. I saw some people shower naked, and others would shower in their swimsuits.

In Half-Moon Bay, California, The showers were built as four individual rooms, all in one building. Each one had its own corner, and own entrance. Each was marked unisex. The entrance was an open-framed doorway with no doors. Outside each doorway, there was a partition wall, about ten-feet across, and also as far from the opening. The concrete sidewalks that went around the buildings also went in between the partitions, and the open-doorway, so it was highly visible from any who walked past. Inside the door, was one large square room, … about 8-foot square. The showers had bars like they could have curtains hanging to partition off the shower, but there were no curtains. The interior walls between each of the four rooms only went up six-feet high, so they were open to the other three in the building. Other than the exterior partition wall across the open doorway, the showers were completely open. I had hoped to camp here, but the campground was full. I asked the ranger if I could at least stop for a shower. She said that since the showers were coin-operated, I could enter the park for free, and even showed me on the map where to park, and where the showers were. But when I saw the design, I was not so sure I was at the right building. I went back and asked her, to be sure. She smiled, and said, that was indeed the shower building. Because it was fairly crowded, and not secluded, I was not so sure naked would be accepted. She smiled, and told me "The shower buildings are new. Eventually, there will be doors, curtains, and no sight between each shower. but for now, Yes, they are intended as a real shower, and nobody would object to a naked person. You are welcome to be as comfortable as you desire." Normally, I would not hesitate to be naked, but I am careful about highly-public places. She was correct. I showered naked, and nobody cared, although many walked past. Yes, people looked. People of all ages and both genders came down this path. Sure, there were the usual grins, and even the occasional ones who walked past two or three times. Of course the funniest, and the ones I could appreciate most were the little kids who would go past, then bring their friends back to show them. I remembered how much I appreciated those who allowed me the same freedom and welcomed my own curiosities. None stopped to stare, or even make me uncomfortable, but it was funny to watch as they found such delight in being allowed to see a naked person with shame, or even feeling they were doing something wrong.

In Wyoming, I found a “Hobo-Bath” This was a natural hot springs for soaking. The place where this natural hot water came out of the ground was made into a large soaking pool. It was surrounded all around by tall cement walls, but was open-air, and had no roof. Once inside, you discovered one large, wide-open unisex changing area, which also had a row of showers on the wall all in the same room as the changing area. There were signs all over the facility stating “No Nudity Allowed”. This was funny. The changing/ showering area was not visible from the actual pool area. There was a wall separating them from view. But the entire changing/ showering area was wide open, and unisex. There were designated separate men’s and women’s bathrooms that had a toilet and a sink. It was free to enter, but there was an attendant on duty. It was required to shower before entering the pool, and also after exiting it. But No nudity was allowed in the pool area… only in the wide-open, unisex changing/ showering area. Strange. Most people changed and showered freely, yet in the actual pool, looked uncomfortable if there was another who might look their way, even though they were wearing their swimsuit in the pool.

In Washington State, along The Columbia River is a small campground built on sand dunes. It has one unisex bathroom. It is a very small wooden building. The sink, and mirror are outside, on the wall. In the center of the building, there is one open doorway with no door. Once you enter this doorway, there are two half-doors. The one on the right is the toilet. The one on the left is the shower. The half-doors are merely there to designate separate spaces. They clearly are not intended for any privacy. Between the shower, and toilet is a wall about 6-feet high. There is one single light bulb hung between the two spaces. In the back of the building, there was only a wall about five-feet high. I thought it was strange that a taller wall was separating the shower from the toilet, yet on the back there was a shorter wall. Of course, Washington has laws against public nudity, but since it was a river-beach campground, and was not a highly-populated, or crowded campground, it was not uncommon to see naked people, so the shower, and toilet also were no big deal here.

Outdoor showering is one of the joys I have always treasured. I am sure most people are absolutely mortified when they discover these places. I have seen my share of antics when people attempt to hide while simultaneously showering. It is funny how people behave. Not once, have I ever had anybody react funny when they see me casually showering, and not attempting to hide. Ironically, it is the exact opposite. Many times, this is how I have met some of the most wonderful people! When people see you comfortable in your own skin, they are more open themselves, and often very friendly. There is something magical about being outdoors that takes down so many barriers. When you are outdoors, and showering, almost every barrier is knocked down… when you do not act like you are doing anything weird. Like I mentioned before, for some reason people do not act weird when they see someone else showering. They only act weird when it comes to their own nakedness and showering in view of others.

Every single one of these has stories to go along with them, but they each could fill up their very own post. In this posting, I am trying to just focus on the aspect of outdoor, or outdoor-feel showers. These are just a few, and I have many more to share… eventually.

 I have many more wonderful experiences of outdoor showers to share. Waterfalls create a whole separate category of outdoor-showering experiences.
~NAKED ALERT!~
The following pictures show me nekkid in a waterfall. Scroll down with an open mind, or closed-eyes. (If You do not wanna see me simply naked, enjoying a waterfall, then by all means, just scroll on past it. If you are not sure if this is something you are ok with, then simply look with an open mind...or closed eyes) :)

No matter what your level of comfort is, I hope you find the Joy of showering outdoors. Whether you do it naked, or in a swimsuit, whether it is visible to others, or secluded. May you find how wonderful nature can be!