10 July, 2007

Skinny Dipping

It's hot.

I am hot.

I step outside and am engulfed in air heavy and thick with water.

I want to go skinny dipping!

I recently read a book in which the characters would go out, first thing in the morning, nude, and just "jump" into the lake. It sounded like fun.

I have never tried that and now, well, I think I want to do it.

While in Sweden I came as close as I have ever come to skinny dipping.

I was visiting friends for New Years somewhere in northern Sweden. It was cold, but I don't know how cold. I do know that there was snow on the ground and that the lake was iced over requiring the men to cut a hole in its surface to provide a place for jumping in after the heat of the sauna.

That's right, the sauna.

The closest I have ever come to skinny dipping was a traditional, wooden shed, everyone in the buff, Swedish sauna.

I would like to say that I "took a sauna" (which is how they say it) with some very attractive Swedish guys - bare chested, muscles ripped, droplets of water glistening..."sigh"

But I can't. I "took a sauna" with a few strangers and a few friends.

We set forth in the dark of night (it was probably eight or something but given it was winter, the sun set quite early) and drove into a secluded area. Somewhere in the woods, beside a frozen lake, we stopped and piled out of the car. A path, lined with candles, led to a little two room hut on the lake shore. The first room of the hut was dimly lit. We quickly disrobed and entered the second of the two rooms.

A few older men were already in the sauna. We each found places on the benches and, well, attempted to relax. I don't remember how long we sat there. There wasn't a lot of conversation. Every once in a while one of the others would get up and follow the candles to the hole in the surface of the frozen lake.

Splash!

And that, my friends, is the closest I have been to skinny dipping - beyond my visit to the nude beach - which we didn't realize was a nude beach until we were there. But, that is a different story.

18 comments:

JustRun said...

I have never gone either... not even close, like your sauna story. Hmmm, maybe need to add that to the list!

The Exception said...

Just Run - On a day such as this, it sounds like a great idea!

Scotty said...

I say you make a super late-night/early-morning trip to the pool, in the buff.

Hopefully there is no one else attempting the same thing :)

Pause said...

Yeh a sauna is popular with them people.

The Exception said...

Scotty - I would if I could. Our pool is locked if it is not open. I long for my days living in the west where the pool was open longer than it was closed and many pools had free access all the time.

The Exception said...

Croaker - It was fun actually - definitely authentic! I was happy to have long hair as it is weird to be with strangers (at that age) nude. I could strategically use my hair to cover my breasts - or so I thought.

Deadmanshonda said...

Oh this is a fun post! It brought back some lovely memories of early mornings on a lake (not nude, but still nice)....and uhhh...awkward moments of foreign nude-ness...

Very fun....

Scotty said...

Boo! Jump the fence!

Eric said...

Can I go skinny dipping with you?

The Exception said...

LeiselB - I haven't been to a lake in ages and miss going. And the European "nude" experiences... ah, those are a few posts within themselves. I went to a "beach" in West Germany (it was still west at the time) with German friends.... interesting. I love the cultural differences.

Dating - That is quite a commute

Scotty - Easier said than done. Hey, why don't you come jump the fence and let me in!! (I think it is an 8 foot fence)

Aaron said...

Even *I've* been skinny dipping! You're behind the curve!

The Exception said...

2xA - I know, I have had a sheltered life.

megabrooke said...

ahh, the thought of hopping in a frozen lake after being in a hot sauna makes me feel really... COLD! man. so you didn't do it?

Bre said...

I've gone, as a reckless teenager... hopping into the deep part of a local creek... it's fun until you realize you forgot to put SPF on some really important parts.

cathouse teri said...

I love swimming nude. It is the most wonderful sensation ever. I get all sensitized and turned on, though. Which makes it very good if I have a partner at hand.

I'm not into public nudity, though. I've only done this in seclusion.

I think if you tried it once, though, you would be hooked.

surfercam said...

I've got a pool at my house so I go skinny-dipping most nights during summer.
So good.
I also did it in the surf one night and that was AMAZING!!!

Have the T-shirt said...

Man we skinnydipped all the time as teens. When I was married we had a pool so we did a lot of skinny dipping.

When I visited The Netherlands, it was a bit too chilly for topless bathing and honestly, at my age, I'm not sure I wouldn't get thrown off the beach if I tried :p

The Exception said...

Brookem - Yeah, "cold" was what I thought too so I didn't do it. Now that I am older and wiser, I would probably do it were I to have the chance.

Bre - Sun screen - definitely a must!

Teri - I think I would like it. It sounds amazing and yes, sharing the experience would be great.

Surfercam - I will be on the next plane. That pool sounds awesome.

T-Shirt - You, too old... never! You just hit those beaches all you want. You are fabulous!