Dropping my towel and plunging into freezing cold water has probably the greatest thing that I have ever done. I was with a group of unnamed friends at a non-disclosed location. The skinny-dipping was done as part dare and part "things to check off the bucket list," like getting a tattoo on your ass and a cabana boy fling. I’m not really sure why I agreed to be honest …Skinny-dipping is something that only conventionally attractive people and the fearless do. I am neither. But here I was, down to less than my knickers in front of other bodies.
Taking off my clothes was hard. Goddesses surrounded me. I also knew that I was the largest out of my friends. Usually that’s enough to make me feel immediately like a piece of crap. I just thought about how if I backed out now that everyone would know and that if I didn’t do this now then I would be the most uninteresting grandmother when I was older.
When I got in the water I immediately forgot all of my insecurities about how my body looked. Instead, focused on swimming – something that only a handful of my friends could do. We splashed around quietly as to not make a sound and then overcompensating will shrill giggles over Truth or Dare answers. It was a really fun time with people who I’ll never forget.
In the moment that I dove into the water my self-esteem changed. I was the bad-ass who went skinny-dipping. I was the person who was brave enough to leave all my insecurities with my clothes and to charge into the unknown. I was the girl who suddenly stopped caring about her stomach pudge, her pale skin, or her plain face. I was the girl brave enough to face the world vulnerable. Now, whenever something makes me feel like I’m inadequate I tap into that bravery of skinny-dipping girl.
