My husband and I kind of eased into the nudist experience slowly. It all started about five years ago during a short Carnival cruise. On our last day, while I was relaxing by the pool, my husband went for a walk and came back saying he had found a topless deck on the upper level. He asked if I was interested. I said “Not really” and we continued lounging.

What he didn’t know was that I was secretly thinking about it the whole time, working up the courage. About thirty minutes later, I suddenly told him, “Let’s go.” He looked completely shocked — and honestly, a little nervous and excited at the same time.

When we got to the topless deck, I saw several other women already sunbathing without tops, and that gave me a bit of confidence. We found a quiet corner, turned our chairs toward the rail, and sat down. After a minute I took a deep breath and said, “Here goes…” I pulled my top up over my head and let the sun touch my breasts for the very first time in public.

At first I felt a little sheepish, but within minutes a big smile spread across my face. I turned to my husband and said, “I love this!” We stayed there for about an hour, and I felt so free and relaxed. Of course, I noticed quite a few single guys walking around the deck, but I tried not to let it bother me.

That experience stayed with us long after the cruise ended. We started looking for ways to feel that freedom again. The next opportunity came during our trip to Akumal Beach Resort in Mexico. Topless sunbathing is very common there, so as soon as we got to the beach, I took my top off without hesitation. About 40% of the women were topless, and I spent as much time as possible enjoying the sun that way.

After that, we began deliberately planning our vacations around places that offered at least some clothing-optional options. Then, this past April, we traveled to Desire Resort Mexico. It was our first time at an all-inclusive couples-only clothing-optional resort, and the atmosphere was absolutely perfect.

The moment we settled in, we both got completely naked. It was such an incredible feeling! We loved the liberating environment so much that we spent the majority of our trip enjoying the freedom of the resort. On days when we explored other areas where only topless was common, I still felt a little shy about being the first one, so we would wait until we saw other women without tops — then off came mine.

Now, five years later, going nude (or at least topless) has become one of our favorite ways to relax and enjoy our time together. What started as a spontaneous decision on a cruise deck has turned into a wonderful part of our life. I never thought I would enjoy being naked in public, but now I can’t imagine going back.