Growing up, Cameron had always wanted to spend the summer at camp, but his parents could never afford it. Cameron had worked a full-time job during his junior and senior years of high school to help his parents out with the bills. Any money that he didn’t give to help his parents went towards his college savings. Cameron had gotten nearly a full-ride scholarship thanks to his excellent grades and still finding some time for a few extracurricular activities. Now that he had some extra money, Cameron decided he would finally indulge in his boyhood dream of going off to camp before he had to go out on his own into the world.
Cameron spent nearly a month deciding between several different camps that he wanted to attend. The deadline was approaching for camp registration as the school year wrapped up. Cameron had found a website that linked multiple camp registrations all in one place, so that all he had to do was fill out the info form once, and then it would send it out to any of the camps that he had an interest in. It made comparing the price points and the different things available from each camp easier. There was even a questionnaire where it matched you up with camps that you might be interested in based on your answers.
A couple of days later, Cameron was working on his computer when he got an email about a new possible match. Cameron opened the email, and the first part of it was an email from someone who was the head of camper affairs at Camp Natural. He was reluctant to open the email, but it had been sent by someone who had an official college email from the school in the Mideast U.S. that he was going to be attending next Fall. The body of the email read:
“Hello Cameron. We are an exclusive camp, and we just had a place open up for the upcoming session and were wondering if you are interested in attending. We are affiliated with Northwestern University, who contacted us about you. We offer college credits to returning campers who become camp counselors, so if you were to attend our camp this year and find it to your liking, then you could return the following summer as a camp counselor. Attached, you will find more information about what we offer at camp and what you can expect once you attend. If you have any questions after you read through the information, feel free to contact me about anything you would like to know.
Attached were a couple of PDFs about the camp. Cameron was still a little wary about clicking on the PDF, so he opened the university’s class catalog and entered in the class code that had been mentioned in the email. There was a match, and when Cameron opened it up, it confirmed there was a summer working internship at Camp Natural. Now that he was a little more confident that this wasn’t some scam meant to infect computers with viruses, Cameron opened the first PDF and was shocked. It looked just like all the other camp brochures, showing the grounds of the camp and listing all their events. The only difference was, where the other brochures featured fully clothed campers; this one showed the campers doing activities such as archery and canoeing all in the nude. Everyone shown in the pictures were eighteen or slightly older college-age students. As Cameron read on, taking longer since he was distracted by the naked bodies, he learned that Camp Natural was a nudist camp where campers were encouraged to learn what it was like to live a nudist life. Clothing was allowed for the most part in clothing-optional areas and events, but a good amount of the experiences would be no clothing allowed. After Cameron read through the brochure, he clicked on the second attachment, and it was a detailed itinerary of all the classes and events that they would be having during camp. The list of activities was easily twice as big as any of the other camps that Cameron was thinking about attending.
Cameron sat in his chair, staring at the brochure. There was a blonde in the middle of diving for a volleyball. Cameron’s eyes kept on being drawn to her. Cameron was too busy and socially awkward to have had a girlfriend yet. The fact that he was eighteen and hadn’t even had his first kiss yet was a constant source of shame. Cameron was used to seeing naked girls from when he watched porn on his computer, but there was just something so natural about the girls in the images that drew him in, and it wasn’t just the fact that they were all attractive, even with their varying body types. The guys featured in the pictures seemed to be having fun too, and even though Cameron wasn’t into guys, he felt a little reassured by their presence in the brochure. If it had been nothing but drop-dead gorgeous models, then Cameron would have suspected that they were just trying to prey on his urge to see beautiful girls naked. Cameron closed the email for now and did his best to focus on his schoolwork. His thoughts kept on returning to what he was just presented with. He wanted to attend, but he was also nervous. Cameron had never been naked in front of anyone else before, let alone a whole camp of people. He was going to have to think about it. He still had a week before the registration process closed.
Cameron tried going about his day to day activities as usual, but with each day that passed, he felt more anxious. The thought of others seeing him nude made him nervous, but the idea of seeing others naked was enticing.
Cameron decided to try and experience the natural life in the comfort of his own home. His parents usually didn’t get home till close to six pm, so he would have about three hours to be nude when he got back from school. It felt weird walking around his house and doing everyday things in the nude. Even with all the blinds being drawn tight so that no one could see him, Cameron felt vulnerable. He constantly checked the time, and even though he knew he would have the house to himself for hours, he was worried that at any moment, one of his parents might come bursting through the door. Cameron kept his clothes, a pair of loose basketball shorts and a shirt nearby so that he could throw them on quickly. He kept on looking out the window every time a car drove by to make sure it wasn’t his parents. That first day Cameron made sure to be fully dressed well before his parents came home. After how he felt that first day of practicing being nude, Cameron couldn’t see himself going to the camp and looked at the couple of camps he had been contemplating to attend before he had received the email from Camp Natural.
The next day after school Cameron got nude again as he did his usual after school activities of making a snack, taking care of his chores, doing his homework, playing video games, and watching T.V. Cameron still felt a little uncomfortable that day, but not as bad as the day before. By the end of the week, he was feeling more comfortable being nude in his home. Cameron knew that he still had a long way to go before he would be bold enough to do this in front of other people, but the thought no longer filled him with crippling dread.
On the last his day before the deadline, Cameron made sure to shut himself up in his room and lock the door, before his parents got home, but he stayed naked. He clicked on the link in the email that had led to the secured website of Camp Natural and finished filling out the application and financial pages. Cameron’s heart was thumping as he submitted his application. He then messaged the camp director and informed him that he had just signed up. Cameron felt some anxiety about going to the camp, but he was also excited to do something that seemed so wild. Cameron had spent his whole life making his decisions based on what was safe; him stepping this far out of his comfort zone was a real accomplishment for him.
Cameron had a month before school ended. Along with studying to maintain his grades, Cameron also spent that time becoming increasingly comfortable being nude. It got to the point where Cameron was looking forward to it every day, and he would rush home to try and get as much natural time in as possible. During his second week of practicing, Cameron decided to step up his experimenting by hanging out in his backyard for a bit while in the nude. He waited for an overcast day since he didn’t want to get a full-body sunburn under the harsh Arizona sun, and when the day finally arrived, he stripped and then stepped out into his backyard. Cameron felt that same thrill and anxiety that he might be seen. Their backyard was fenced in, and since none of the houses nearby were two stories, the only way one of his neighbors could see him was if they walked up and peeked through the small gaps in the fence. Cameron set a beach towel down on their swinging porch chair, and he idly rocked back and forth with his foot as he read. Cameron used to love sitting out here and doing this as a kid, but he had stopped doing a lot of the things he enjoyed so that he could focus on his goals and what was expected of him. Every cool breeze felt terrific on him. Cameron had planned only to spend a small amount of his natural time outside, but he was so comfortable out there that he ended up losing track of time. When he heard his mother’s car pulling into the driveway, he had to make a nude sprint back up to his room so that he wouldn’t get caught. Cameron thought about what it would be like to be in the lush cool woods of Camp Natural, and he found himself looking forward to it more and more.
The school year ended, and Cameron found himself on a plane going halfway across the country to go to a nudist camp. In the weeks leading up to his trip and absence for a month, Cameron was prepared to deflect questions about where he was going and had even looked up camps near Camp Natural so that he could say he was attending one of those, but no one pressed Cameron on his summer plans. His friends and parents seemed kind of confused about why he would want to go to a summer camp when he was eighteen. Cameron didn’t blame them for thinking it was a little weird, but when he mentioned how it was also affiliated with the university he was going to be attending, it made it seem more acceptable to his parents. Cameron had always been the least wild of his two siblings, two older sisters, so his parents didn’t seem to worry about Cameron’s decisions as much. His parents had liked to joke for years how Cameron was a little adult as he was growing up and wasn’t like most other kids. When Cameron had first heard them say that he had been mad, but looking back on it, he realized that did sum him up pretty well.
Cameron arrived at his destination around five pm in the city the university was in. Cameron had arrived two days before the bus was scheduled to come and take the campers to Camp Natural. Cameron had arrived early so that he would have time to get used to the new time zone and could explore the city that he was going to be living in next Fall.
Cameron was so tired from his flight that even though he wanted to go out, once he got checked into the hotel room, all he was up to was ordering room service and watching T.V. Cameron spent this time in the nude. Now he didn’t feel like he was forcing himself to experiment with the nudist lifestyle, and he was starting to enjoy it more and more.
The next day Cameron woke up feeling refreshed and took a lyft over to the university so that he could tour the campus and the surrounding area. Cameron had spent his whole life living in the desert, being in a place that was so green with trees made him breathe easier for the first time in his life. Cameron had never been one of those people who were desperate to escape their home city, but he could easily see himself living here if the first impressions held steady. Cameron bought some supplies that he couldn’t fly with and picked up a few odds and ends that caught his eye or that he couldn’t go without, and then returned to the hotel for one lazy last night in a big bed.
***
Cameron woke up at seven am and started to get ready. He wished that he could sleep in more, but to be fully prepared, both mentally and physically, he knew that he was going to need this time. Cameron checked out of the hotel and waited downstairs for the bus. About twenty people were milling about in the lobby; half of them looked to be around the same age as Cameron, so he wondered if they would be going too. Cameron wanted to know if they were going as well, but it wasn’t as if he could just walk up and say, ‘hey, are you going to the nudist camp too?’
Cameron couldn’t stand waiting idly, so he opened a book on his phone. While he was reading, Cameron noticed a cute redhead sitting on the couch across from him that was facing away. All Cameron had seen of her was the side of her face and back of her head as she sat down. Cameron wished he had seen her face better before he sat down. The idea of seeing naked girls his age had been one of the main perks of going to Camp Natural, but now that he was surrounded by cute girls, He started to get nervous again.
A handful more people sat down in the hotel lobby, and then the bus arrived, right on time. Cameron looked up from his book for the redheaded girl, but she was gone. There was no way she already made it to the bus. Cameron’s heart dropped; she must have been checking in to the hotel. With a sigh, Cameron gathered up his stuff and started to slowly walk towards the bus. His anxiety was kicking in, so he made sure he would be the last person in line to get on the bus, the last thing he needed right now was to end up trying to get on the wrong bus with a line of people behind him. The driver was standing beside the door of the bus, checking everyone’s tickets to make sure that they were getting on the right bus. Cameron imagined how much of a surprise someone might get if they got on the wrong bus and ended up in the land of the nudists.
The bus driver looked over Cameron’s ticket, pointed him to one of the storage bins that skirted the bottom side of the bus, and then welcomed him aboard. There must have been another stop or two before this because the bus was nearly full and was slightly abuzz with sleepy but excited conversations. Almost all the seats were taken, and Cameron didn’t want to sit next to someone he didn’t know if he could help it. He wasn’t the best at making small talk at the best of times, and with their destination so heavily on his mind, Cameron didn’t feel up to socializing. Cameron was halfway down the aisle when he finally spotted an open seat. Cameron sat down with a sigh of relief. He stared out the window that was on the opposite side of where the hotel was.
Cameron was buried in his thoughts when he was pulled out of them by a soft voice. “Excuse me, do you mind if I sit here?” Cameron looked up and saw the redhaired girl looking at him. Seeing her up close made his heart skip a beat and a half. She had long red hair, light green eyes, and a small number of freckles across her cheeks, and on the bridge of her cute little nose, he hadn’t thought a nose could be cute, but hers was the pinnacle of nose cuteness. She smiled down at him but started to look a little uncertain. Cameron realized that he hadn’t said anything for a few seconds as he stared at her.
“Oh yeah,” Cameron said, and then he realized that he had just said that he did mind if she sat there and quickly tried to correct himself. “I mean, it’s ok if you sit with me. Sorry, I’m still waking up.”
The redhaired girl laughed and sat down. “Yeah, me too. I left my laptop charger up in my room and had to run up to go get it. I almost missed the bus because I had to have them let me back in.”
That explains why she was suddenly gone, Cameron thought. “Well, I am glad you made it in time. I’m Cameron.”
“I’m Haley, nice to meet you.” They were interrupted as the bus driver stepped onto the bus and announced that they were departing. It all seemed so normal to Cameron as if they weren’t about to go to a place where everyone was going to be naked 24/7. They started driving. This is it, Cameron thought. There was no turning back.
“So, are you nervous?” Haley asked.
Cameron nervously laughed. “Yeah, I have never done anything like this before. I almost backed out multiple times,” he said honestly.
“Yeah, me too,” Haley said. “So, where are you from?”
“I’m from Tempe, Arizona. What about you?”
“I am from Portland, Oregon,” she said.
They made small talk during the one and a half hour bus ride to Camp Natural. Talking to Haley came naturally to Cameron, she was so warm and friendly that she was able to pull even an introvert like Cameron out of his shell. Talking to her helped Cameron calm down his nerves a little bit. If everyone at Camp Natural was even half as nice as Haley, then he knew that he had nothing to worry about. Cameron learned how next semester she was going to the college to get a biology degree. Cameron imagined her in a lab coat and smiled at the cute image. Haley did most of the talking, but she never focused on herself too much and would keep asking Cameron questions so that the conversation never felt one-sided.
When they turned a bend in the forest, and Cameron saw that they were approaching Camp Natural, he got a little sad; he had been enjoying his conversation with Haley. His phone had stayed tucked between his thigh and the side of the bus for the entire trip. The driver announced that they were there as the bus came to a stop.
The campers stood and shuffled off the bus. When it was close to Cameron and Haley’s turn to get up, she smiled at him. “Ready?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Cameron said, and they got up and walked down the aisle together. They split up to retrieve their luggage, and Cameron lost sight of the petite girl in the press of all the other campers. A couple of workers from the camp were helping people find their luggage, and another was telling people to follow the dirt path towards the large wooden building. He glanced around but couldn’t see Haley. Cameron didn’t want to instantly cling to the first girl who talked to him, so he took a moment to get his bags together and was about to start walking down the path when Haley appeared next to him. Cameron let out a sigh of relief that she had been the one to reconnect with him.
They entered the large building. The main part of the building seemed to be a cafeteria slash auditorium that reminded Cameron of his elementary school’s lunchroom. The tables were folded up against the back wall, and chairs were lined up facing towards a small raised stand. They were told to put their luggage along the walls and take a seat. Cameron and Haley found a seat in the back row.
Standing in front of the stand were seven people. A couple of them looked just a few years older than Cameron, while the rest seemed to be in their thirties, except for a beautifully tanned tall woman who was in the middle of the group who looked to be in her mid-forties but looked amazing. When everyone was seated, the woman spoke.
“Greetings campers, and welcome to Camp Natural!” She had a strong voice so that it carried even to the back row with ease. The campers clapped and let out some hoots. “I am the head of the camp, Miss Evens, but you can call me Alison. While there is a lot to do here, we all know what this camp is about: getting a taste of the nudist lifestyle. I know some of you might have more experience than others when being in a nudist community, but I expect everyone to be understanding of each other’s comfort level. Today is a day for you to get to know the camp and not yourself yet, so please keep your clothing on this first day. After today we expect each of you to remain nude as often as possible. Of course, if it rains, you should cover up to protect from the elements, and no one will force you to disrobe. If you have any questions or need help in any way with this or any other aspect of your stay here, please feel free to ask me or any of the camp staff for advice and assistance. The spirit of this place is to get used to living a nude lifestyle, so there will be many events where clothing is not allowed.”