Hedonism II is divided into two beaches: the Prude beach, where you can wear clothes or not, and the Nude beach, where nudity is required. If you’d like to, you can stay on the Prude side the entire time, swimming in the ocean or chilling by the pool with a book and a pina colada ( I read four and drank many). But I’d promised myself that I would experience the whole, well, experience. So after an afternoon of snorkeling in my bikini (success!), I joined some other women from the press group and headed to the nude beach — with the help of a shot or two. At the sign reading “No Clothing Beyond This Point,” we simultaneously stripped down. At first, I felt totally exposed and self-conscious. But within a few minutes, that feeling began to fade. Everyone on the entire beach was naked, after all, and nobody gave me a second glance. I even walked up to the bar and ordered a drink — totally naked. I kept thinking about the way I’d grown up, with strict school dress codes and Christian youth group admonishments to dress modestly . The me of10 years ago would be astonished by the me of the present. It felt exhilarating.