It was a last-minute thing before we even put the clothes on yesterday. We’d packed our suitcases taken them to the car, and were heaving them into the boot (trunk) of our hired car -in our birthday suits! 🙂 – when I heard a voice behind me ‘Hola! Ella!’ I turned around to see a briefly unfamiliar face behind me before the penny dropped and recognised her as Luisa, the daughter of one of our (Spanish) neighbours. My, how she’d changed in the two years since I last saw her.

Two years ago, she was a shy fifteen year old and a reluctant naturist. Nudity is obligatory in various complexes pools, and she would never be seen in the pool area, just too embarrassed by her own developing body and even the concept of it. Her parents’ casual naturism made her squirm.

I didn’t see any of the family last year, and in fact wondered if, in light of their daughter’s whole reluctance to the lifestyle whether they’d sold up and moved to a textile location elsewhere. I should have known better. Naturists are made of sterner stuff.

Two years ago she would come to our apartment to practice her English (we were the only English speakers in residence) on a daily basis, dropping in for half an hour or so. And we, in turn would practice our Spanish on Luisa. But her sheer embarrassment at nudity would mean both of us would throw on a sarong when she turned up.

How times have changed.

Yesterday, a 17 year old with her own style, punky hairdo and tattoo, body now fully developed, greeted us. We spoke for a while before we had to go, but it was a thrill to see Luisa had grown into a young woman with her own style, a great command of English, and a body confidence that meant she was wearing only bikini briefs (and those in place only because she was intending to walk the dog outside of the naturist area -topless doesn’t even raise an eyebrow here, anywhere). I gave her my email address and hope to bring you further news of Luisa’s RL naturism soon. 🙂

Back home now (it feels so cold) to begin work on SLN 10, which I intend to have published around Hallowe’en.

Ella