A guests first time social nudist experience

Beyond Words When I stumbled upon Greg’s couchsurfer profile I had no idea what I was in for. Not only would this adventure challenge my general distaste for sweets, but also numerous other beliefs I had grown attached to. Thanks to the internet, you can now enjoy an earnest account of my naked adventures that hopefully conveys some of the magic I experienced staying there. While thinking of a proper name for the house, the metaphor of a gateway came to my mind. I used to love Stargate as a kid, because a) Jack O’Neill was funny as hell and b) the idea of stepping through a portal and emerging in a strange world is simply fascinating. Little surprise that traveling would become one of my favorite activities as a grown up and I would say people’s minds have become the strange worlds I step into. The Greg portal starts on his profile, subtly warning me of his temperament while giving a preview of his incredible creative energy. Luckily I have (re)learned to trust my curiosity more than my concerns and so I decided to give it a shot. On the day before I was supposed to go I had done my research and boy, was I excited! My mind was already half there and that’s how my friend Lola learned about it. She was equally intrigued and at the same time cautious, as Greg asks his guests to join in his nude lifestyle. That can raise all sorts of concerns and it did, but we went anyway. Arriving on the door I was pleased to have it opened by a dressed girl, buzzing with energy. We entered in the middle of a project due on the following day, a project for the circus company, which Greg runs from his home, or gateway, or beehive. That is what the bustling business reminded me of as I was observing the team working on their next magical show; beautifully orchestrated organized chaos, like a real living hive. Greg told us to make ourselves at home, which we might have taken a little too far. Each room is entered through an actual gateway and envelops the visitor in an intricate story about human consciousness. What that looks like is hard to describe, but it feels very engaging. I remember thinking that creating this one room must have taken more work hours than I had lived through life hours. Greg has been crafting his house sized Disneyworld for 30 years now and it has become a world, in which it does not matter where you look, you are bound to be captivated. And that is what happened to us. We completely lost ourselves in the magic, wandering from story to story, from room to room, going ever deeper into the mystical forest, until suddenly, this magic was ripped by an angry voice: “Who is there? Who is up there??” We had entered forbidden territory. With dirty shoes! Like a curious kid, thus is the magic. Greg was not too happy and told us to “Get the fuck out of here!”. As soon as we were, though, we were caught by a creature not unlike those from the fairy tales. It was the same energetic elf, who had opened the door for us and we learned that Greg is like that sometimes and we should not be worried. She said he would make us work for this and as promised, he poked his head through the door: “Make ‘em clean the gutters around the house!” and then he was gone. I felt like the Tasmanian devil from the cartoons had burst into the room, rearranged everything and then disappeared, all in the blink of an eye. We were left with the feeling of slight shock and our elfish guide, who proceeded to explain our new responsibilities and vanished, leaving us with the shards of broken magic. Was this the end of the dream? We stumbled out into daylight to find another otherworldly being. His name was Carlos and he practiced walking on some fancy leg extensions for the next show. When I explained my bewildered expression to him, he merely chuckled. Either this was a rather ordinary event, or we had encountered mad magic. Shock was slowly turning into disbelief and while Carlos told us an anecdote, his warm smile and loving reference to Greg eased the way for curiosity to settle back in. I was never good at giving up anyway and now I was also strangely intrigued. I wanted to know how an outburst like that one could vanish in seconds, as Carlos claimed. As I was cleaning around the house I remembered previous experiences of people getting that angry at me. None of them are part of my life anymore and I found it difficult to imagine a future where Greg and I would be OK again. Sure enough, the next time I saw him, he extended his hand in friendship. I was speaking to a different person now, one, who was actually concerned that he might have scared us away. A person so full of genuine appreciation of people that it was impossible to hold a grudge, on the contrary, I soon began to feel compassion for that angry part in him, as well as admiration. Greg has adapted beautifully and learned to harness this intense temperament, helping him bring about an unrivaled creative output not only in himself, but also in others. And he has learned to do so in a way that does not compromise the connections he forms with the people around him. The magic seems to incorporate, to transform it. His anger is fierce when present, yet I have seen it become a source of amusement in surprisingly short time. He is serious and he is not, fascinating. Now, the naked part you have been waiting for ;-) Lola got back from grocery shopping and another guest, Ben, arrived after the team had left and Greg’s work day was over. Greg announced the procedure with a simple “Let’s get into the lifestyle!” and disappeared into his room. We were left wondering and as Ben, who had been at the house before, started to undress joyfully, my mind started coming up with very reasonable excuses why this was impossible. It was just too cold. I could get a random boner. You name it, my brain has been there. Another thing I have learned is, I actually like to expose myself to such situations and prove to myself that a thought is just that, a thought. And if I dislike something (or someone!), my brain is a generator of supporting evidence. If I change my mind and start to like it, my brain supports that interpretation of reality. Find out for yourself! Approach a situation that scares you, notice how your brain and body react as you get close and then move anyway. And move slowly, see what it really is that scares you and you might come out wondering why it was such a big deal in the first place. That’s the feeling I had after about 20 minutes of being naked with everyone. Or after jumping from the 10m cliff. Or after telling my Mom I quit my studies. Or after kissing that girl. There is no point in waiting for a time when you feel comfortable doing it, it is naturally uncomfortable in the beginning, as it is unknown. If you want to know what is on the other side, you need to go through…and just like a Stargate, your own gateways will take you to strange new worlds.-Micha