We all have the right to make our own choices, and as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, who’s to say it’s wrong?
Take Estelle Keeber, for example. She got tired of her everyday life and decided to embrace something completely different – becoming a nudist. But not everyone in her family is on board with her new passion…
A trip that changed everything
Estelle Keeber is a single mom to two boys who mean the world to her. But recently, life hasn’t been easy for Estelle, who’s in her 40s and lives in Leicester, England. Just before her 40th birthday, she lost her beloved grandmother, and shortly after, her fiancé of three years ended their relationship.
Struggling with the weight of it all, Estelle decided to make a change. To clear her mind, she booked a trip to Spain with her best friend, Sarah. Little did she know, this trip would end up changing her life forever.
”I guess I’d always been intrigued by the idea of nudist beaches, just letting everyone see you for what you are, no filters, no clothes, all your wobbly bits and scars on show. I’d seen nudist beaches sporadically as a child and young adult, when on various Mediterranean holidays, but the first time I ever properly noticed and thought about them was five years ago,” Estelle tells Daily Mail.
”I was in Spain with my boys – then aged 8 and 6 – and seeing those men and women just so incredibly relaxed and happy, for some reason it resonated with me.
”I didn’t want to shock my boys, and I’m not sure I was quite ready to strip off then, anyway, but that sowed a seed in my brain which, without me realzing, grew and grew.”
Estelle, who works in social media, is also a speaker and author. Over the years, she had noticed how everyone seemed to want to present a perfect version of themselves on Instagram or Facebook. People often show off the best parts of their lives, or even create a facade, which is far from their reality.
As a mother of two, Estelle knew firsthand how an obsession with appearances could lead to mental health issues, eating disorders, and a focus on the wrong things in life.
She was genuinely concerned about the world her boys would grow up in and felt motivated to make a difference. Estelle had also reached a point where her “body confidence” wasn’t great. She had gone through a traumatic ectopic pregnancy after her first child was born, which resulted in major surgery that almost cost her life and left her with scars around her midriff. Like many women, her body wasn’t as firm or toned as it used to be.
Estelle wanted her children, and everyone, to see the real her — without shame — so she could offer a counterbalance to the often unrealistic image seen on smartphones.
A year after her trip to Spain, Estelle found herself on vacation in Corfu with a friend. This time, she decided to go topless, like many other beachgoers around her. It felt liberating, but it still wasn’t the full experience she was after.
Psychologically, Estelle felt there was something incredibly freeing about going all the way. As her 40th birthday approached in the summer of 2022, she shared her bold plan with her best friend, Sarah. The look on Sarah’s face was priceless!
After the initial shock wore off, Sarah eagerly agreed, and they booked flights to Spain. But it wasn’t as easy as they’d imagined. Having grown up in ultra-conservative Britain, where naked bodies are often sexualized, the idea of stripping down was daunting at first.
Sitting on the sand, they built up their confidence and talked through their plan. In sync, they both stripped off, laughing, and ran into the sea together.
The rush they felt was incredible. The sensation of the sea and wind rushing over their bare bodies was energizing, and Estelle couldn’t believe how amazing it was. Sarah agreed, and the two spent the entire day – and most of the night – completely naked, chatting and feeling incredibly relaxed.
Skinny-dipping under the moonlight, Estelle realized it was the best birthday she’d ever had. She knew then that this would become a regular part of her life. She was excited to share this newfound freedom with everyone — even her boys.
It felt like an epiphany, like she’d finally found the answer to so many things that had been bugging her for years.
Estelle also remembered her nan, Jill, who had passed away a few months before. The two had been incredibly close, with Jill always supporting Estelle through thick and thin. Her nan’s mantra had always been to live life fully and not to care what others thought.
Estelle could just imagine her nan laughing joyfully if she’d seen her in that moment.
With Sarah’s encouragement, Estelle decided to take some tasteful photos as mementos, including a “mermaid” pose lying on a rock and a shot of her walking away from the camera.
When she returned home, Estelle proudly shared her experience with friends and family, showing them the photos before they had a chance to judge.
Some thought she was crazy, but she didn’t mind. This was her way of embracing her 40s and being real with herself. Estelle was proud of the journey she had taken and the freedom she had found.
”I posted about my experience on social media – I have almost 10,000 followers on Instagram – and was delighted with the torrent of positive comments! The best part was how intrigued lots of people were, how they got it, and – I hope – will give it a go, too.”
But not everyone was as impressed.
”My boys, needless to say, were utterly mortified, and when they walked into my office at home, and those nude photos were on display on a vision board, they shouted at me to cover them up! It was perfect.”
Since her first nudist experience, Estelle has shifted her focus in both her work and life. She’s become actively involved in campaigns, including one protesting Facebook’s policy of removing photos of breast cancer survivors who had tattoos of nipples after surgery. To make her point, Estelle donned a massive inflatable boob costume outside of Facebook’s London headquarters. Her efforts led to Meta changing its algorithms, which she’s incredibly proud of.
In addition to this, Estelle regularly visits schools to talk about the importance of using social media healthily and the dangers of excessive screen time.
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