We got off the plane in Barcelona. I'd surprisingly slept great, though the rest of my group had not. I guided my sleepy friends through the airport and into an Uber. We checked into our hotel and agreed we would sleep it off and meet up again that night. That gave me the perfect window.
When we planned this trip, I pushed so hard for Europe and Spain in particular because I really wanted to try a nude beach. I'd never been before, but the idea sounded so exciting. I'd never been naked outdoors, or even naked in front of strangers. The hotel we picked was in the city center, and Barcelona was great because their nude beach, Platja de la Mar Bella, was really close to the city.
I decided to walk through the city to get there. I packed my sunscreen, towel, and no swimsuit. I walked through the street in the hot summer air, the cool breeze blowing on me from the ocean. Barcelona had a unique repeating grid layout, so the streets were really easy to navigate. I made my way to the beach no problem.
It felt like I was suddenly there. The months of anticipation trying to make this happen were over. I double checked the sign to make sure I was at the right beach and stepped out onto the sand.
I looked around. I looked again. I didn't see any naked people! I thought Europe was supposed to be this hotbed of liberated hot nudists, but nope. Maybe I was just unlucky today. I stood there contemplating turning back. I wished I'd brought my swimsuit, but I didn't give myself that option on purpose.
I'd flown all this way, spent thousands of dollars, and dreamed about this for a reason. I wanted to do it. I found a semi-isolated spot in the sand and laid my towel down. Goosebumps ran all over my body despite the summer heat and my legs felt weak. I pulled my summer dress over my head. I was now topless in panties. I knew that toplessness was more normal in Europe, maybe I could just keep my panties on? I sat down and pulled my knees into my chest, hiding my partial nudity. Fuck, I knew I had to keep going. I hooked my fingers into the sides of my panties and pushed them down.
There I was, the only one naked on a crowded beach. I kept my eyes forward on the water. I could feel everyone's eyes on me but I didn't want to check. I was going to be seen, it was inevitable.
I decided to take cover in the ocean. I dove headfirst into the water. The cold ocean took off the building heat of the sun. I'd never been skinny dipping before, but the sensation felt great. My whole body felt smoother- it all just felt so right and natural. I swam through the waves, then relaxed and floated in the water. The sea gently moved me back and forth. I was at peace.
When I'd had enough, I headed back in. Water dripped off of my naked body. It felt good but still so foreign to be exposed like this. I laid down on my towel face down. If you think about it, laying down isn't showing much more skin than a normal bikini. Bikinis keep getting smaller and smaller, but that's not a problem if you go naked. I sprayed sunscreen all over my body, making sure I didn't get burned in newly exposed areas. I laid back down, tanning my backside.
I turned over to tan my front next. Right as I got settled, I heard a voice.
"Shay?"
Oh fuck.
A body blocked the sun. Jen stood over me.
"Shay? Why are you naked!?"
I jumped to cover my privates with my hands. "Jen! Well, this is a nude beach."
"It is?!" She looked around. "You're the only one naked!" She was still in disbelief.
"I mean, it's technically a nude beach."
Jen slowly closed her mouth that had been open in a perpetual gasp. She silently laid her towel down next to me and kept her eyes straight ahead. I inched my hands back to my sides, exposing myself again.
"Have you gone to a nude beach before?" Jen asked, quietly now.
"Nope."
"That's really brave of you."
"Oh, it's not so bad." We kept looking ahead to the ocean. "You think you would ever do it?"
"Me? I don't know..."
"Come on. Look at me, it's fine."
She turned to look at me for the first time. She looked me up and down. I looked down at her cleavage. I'd always thought that Jen was hot, but I try not to think about my friends naked. Now, it was way too easy to picture her naked. Besides, it was a trip. Friend groups tend to get messy on trips. I bit my lip as Jen kept looking at me.
"What if we come back here tomorrow, as a group?" I asked.
"You want me to get naked with the group?!"
"Come on, we'll convince some of the other girls to join us. Plus I'm sure the guys will be on board, they'll definitely like it."
She wasn't buying it. I placed my hand on her hand. "C'mon."
"Okay."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
"Yay!!" I grabbed her hand and shook it up in the air to celebrate.
...
That night at dinner, I couldn't stop looking at Jen. She was wearing a tastefully low cut dress that made my imagination run wild. She brought up the beach to the group and I was grateful that she was the one who said it- I was worried I would give it away if I was the one who said it.
"So guys, beach day tomorrow?" she asked. She got some positive responses from the group.
"Which beach?" Drew asked.
"Mar Bella," Jen said. She gave me a little knowing smile.