7/03

Amy and I recently returned from a one-week vacation at Sunset Beach Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Topfreedom is widely practiced on about half the beach farthest away from the resort buildings. Clothing runs a continuum from larger suits near the resort buildings to topfree and eventually a nude beach at the periphery of the resort. The beach area is quite long, perhaps 800m, so the beach was never crowded. The topfree crowd tended to congregate at the beach bar dividing the Au Natural beach from the rest of the beach.

A guard is stationed at the bar to ensure that no one takes unwelcome photos of the topfree or nude sections of the beach, and to enforce the "no suits" policy of the nude beach. It seems this would be a good place to try topfree for the first time as the attitude is very open. Several groups of women appeared to be having their first topfree experience. It was interesting to watch; first apprehensive and covering their breasts with arms and hands, then when nobody appeared to take much notice, a much more relaxed and then even playful attitude.

Amy wore her top only for the walk to the far end of the beach. Towards the end of the trip she would wear her g-string bottom under a cover-up and left the top in the room altogether.

For the parents out there, Sunset Beach offers childcare from 9 am to 9 pm daily. Our girls, 8 and 6, spent half the day at the Kids Club while Amy and I went to the nude beach. For the remainder of the day we brought the kids out with us to the topfree section. Our children are used to topfreedom and so didn't think much of it, aside from realizing that Mom's not the only woman who goes topfree.

We're planning a return for the first week of June, 2004. That is, if we can stay away that long...

--Jeff and Amy, Iowa