my first barefootness!

ah, you live in new zealand! i would love to visit there someday. it just seems so laid back down under.

lol, and i'm not so free about it as it may seem. while i've been going places barefoot a LOT lately, i never do so without pants on, so that my feet are somewhat covered and it's not AS noticeable. i'm still a little nervous about it, like if i wore short pants or something. oh well. i'll do what i'm comfortable with, and not do what i'm not.

 

Yes very laid back here just the other day the Kapiti Coast District Council just north of Wellington announced that they want to open the entire beach from Paekakariki to Otaki approxamately 45 km to nude sunbathing believe it or not this would become one of the worlds longest nude beaches! This together with our laid back attitude to BF WOW!

 

awesome awesome! i'll have to make sure i come and visit nz then! does it get cold there in winter?

 

For a small country it is a land of extremes during Winter some parts get alot colder than others our hottest months are Dec to March but you must experience it youll love it I promise!

 

If New Zealand isn't prone to an economic collapse and the US of A gets taken over by big brother, I'd totally go there. Beautiful scenery, great barefooting weather, and people that also go barefoot.

Also, the toilets flush COUNTER-clockwise. That might just be the best part.

 

new zealand has the best apples.. pink lady apples. and one of my favorite movies was filmed there. the whale rider and the main character is barefoot in most the movie.

 

Ohhh, that is a nice movie, alright... not only for the barefooting part, but also for the plot, wherein a girl is taking her part in swimming against the flow of male Maori tradition. Very strong pictures, very emotional, and wonderful acting on part of the lead actress, Keisha Castle-Hughes.

Here she is:



Oh, and speaking of films and New Zealand, let's not forget one famous barefoot filmmaker:



Even though his hobbits wore fake rubber feet...

~*Ganesha*~

 

so we're not the only ones who are obsessed with NZ apples!!! pink ladies are awesome... my favorite... i can't fucking remember the name of them, but they're SO pretty... i call them happy apples! i can always tell the apples that came from NZ before i even look at the lable... they just FEEL really good! yummy energy.

the whale rider is an awesome movie. i cry every time i watch it. australia and new zealand make amazing movies. if you haven't yet, you should watch "the rage in placid lake"... it's an aussie movie that just kicks ass in a big way.

and i had no idea peter jackson was a barefooter. how cool!

 

I love pink ladies, I didn't know they were from New Zealand. Cool.

 

they grow them other places too, i think. but i like the ones from NZ the best. although i'm eating gala apples from washington state right now and they're pretty damn good too.

 

4 summers ago my kids and i ate about 100 new zealand pink lady apples in about a 2 month period. :drool5: the ones from southern california just aren't as sweet and crisp.

damn now i want an apple.

 

this calls for an apple!

 

Thats great!!

 

So what got you to start going barefoot out in public? Convenience? Comfort? Just decided to give it a try and see what happened? As for me, I was a child of the late 60's and early 70's. Back in the "hippie" period being barefoot was considered pretty radical - all the more reason to do it! Unfortunately I was too self-conscious about my feet at the time and it's only been lately that I've found my freedom!

 

You are very close to my age, I too was self conscious about my feet, even though they looked healthy. In retrospect, I really thought something was wrong with me. Since the invention of the internet, I've read several stories like yours. It is really great to hear that I was not alone with this feeling. Thank you for sharing that.

Growing up in the 60's and 70's I lived in a northern Ohio suburb, many of my peers were seen barefoot during the summer months. I was always envious of them because they seemed not to be embarrassed in the least bit. Now it's been my turn to recapture that lost opportunity and enjoy the joy and sensation of going barefoot out in public.

:hurray:

 

Thanks for sharing this milestone with us, it's a very important moment in your life. Keep barefooting!

 

One small step for (hu)mankind...
One GIANT step for a Barefooter!
The first store (whatever size) IS a big deal, and you soon find out: the world doesn't collapse! police don't lock you up! people who loved you yesterday still love you (OK, maybe they scratch their heads a little)! AND
You get to be barefoot.
Win/win!

 

nakedtreehugger: Keep on going barefoot! The first store is always a hurdle, but once you jump it, you'll feel more natural going barefoot everywhere I hope you've gotten your partner to go barefoot with you, too! I bet he'll get used to it and enjoy it, too.

 

...

 

I always liked nakedtreehugger (the person who started this thread). She posted a lot in 2008, but then drifted away from the Barefoot Forum, lost interest in the practice, and eventually seems to have dropped out of the Hip Forum altogether. Bummer!

My first "barefootness," at least since I started doing it regularly, was a few years ago to a Starbucks. I had just started working from home. When I had an office job, I had a tradition that I'd stop at a coffee shop every Friday morning on the way to work for a decent cup of java (versus the free office swill) to celebrate the end of another work week. I decided to maintain the tradition from home. After several weeks of running upstairs to grab my flip-flops before heading out, I decided to just go barefoot. I loved being barefoot, and decided to boldly go without shoes for the short walk from the parking lot, inside to the counter, and back.

I drove to the Starbucks barefoot with a bit of a knot in my gut. When I saw other cars in the parking lot I got a bit nervous. I parked, walked in, and hoped the cashier and other customers wouldn't notice my feet. When it was my turn to order, my voice sort of cracked and I nervously fumbled through my wallet. The cashier made a lot of sweet small-talk with me. I think she noticed my bare feet and sensed my discomfort. The store was a new location that had just opened and wasn't very busy. The same cashier also made my drink for me - all the time talking to me in a friendly voice. While she never commented about my lack of footwear, I could also tell she wasn't going to chastise me. I finally got my drink, thanked her, left a tip, and headed back to my car.

Driving home I felt like I'd climbed a mountain! I was proud I'd gone out barefoot. I continued to go to that same Starbucks for several weeks and then branched out to other locations, then to groceries, department stores, banks, you name it. My emotions that first morning seem sort of silly now, but I guess we all start somewhere.