Onsen?!?

I did the unexpected... well, unexpected for me at least.

I went to an onsen.

That is a big deal for me. Being naked in a room amongst other naked people isn't exactly something I would call comfortable.

In fact, it took me a while to actually be comfortable. I think I might have even had a minor anxious moment.

But, yeah... overall... not a bad experience.

And, as many other foreigners might have mentioned before me when they finally experienced an onsen... it was quite liberating being naked like it's not big deal.

My friend whose place I'm currently crashing is like an onsen junkie. He's been trying to get me to go to one for a while... and today he finally succeeded in getting me to go.

I was hesitant of course... but, as he knows... the only way to get me to really do something is to force me to go.

And, I figured... it's now or never... so, might as well give it a shot.

I was pretty quiet and kept to myself on the drive there. In fact... I was probably void of a personality... but, it was a bit nerve-wracking for me.

When we finally got inside to where you strip down... I realized... holy shit... you just get naked right away and walk around. It didn't help that my friend sort of lied a bit about there being towels or stuff available at first. I saw others wearing yukatas... so, I thought we would get one at one point... but, such was not the case as I realized everyone around me just stripped. I turned around... and my friend just dropped his pants and was basically standing there in his nakedness out of nowhere.

I just stood there in my underwear for what my friend says was at least 10 minutes... so much for telling myself not to look or appear as if I was uncomfortable with being there. Yeah, I just stared at my little cubbie blankly trying to get the courage to drop my underwear. I think a Japanese dude just stared at me confused and probably wondering what I was doing. Or, he might actually have expected what was up.

So, after those 10 minutes... my urge to pee (yeah... I was holding it by the way) finally beat out my nerves and I dropped my underwear and headed to the bathroom.

After that... I just tried pushing the fact that I wasn't wearing anything out of my mind and just followed my friend as he told me what the procedure for onsening was.

First, a shower. It bothered me that we had to sit in chairs where other people sit down on... while being naked. And, of course my shower wasn't working so my friend had to help me out with it... pssssh... but, the shower actually wasn't that bad since, though there are people all around you... somehow I felt as if it was private enough.

Next, into the first pool of hot water. I usually am slow getting into hot water, but, when you're weird about being naked around people... you kind of just dive in without a problem and take the hot water... heh heh.

I got really comfortable there and was finally able to relax. However, my friend then left to check the pools outside... and for some odd reason I had this sense of anxiety hit me. I don't know why it happened... but... it was a bit weird. Maybe it was a combination of the hot water getting to me and being alone... ::shrugs::

My friend came back and I began to settle down again. We headed to the pools outside and... wow... it was pretty amazing.

It was snowing... it was cold... but, you just feel so at ease and it feels so nice. And it was a beautiful scene too. There was a river right next to the pools and across the river was a cliff. Snow began to fall more heavily and... I just don't think words are enough to describe the amazing sight and feeling of being there.

By then... I felt quite comfortable being naked and began to enjoy myself. We went to each of the pools... including another outside one with an even better view. By the second to last pool... I caught myself just walking and standing outside of the pool like it was no issue. I didn't think I'd be comfortable just standing around being naked like it's all good.

It really is liberating... being the way God created us I guess... ::shrugs::.

I know people usually say it's more awkward to experience an onsen with someone or people you know... but, in my situation... being with my friend actually made me more at ease and I know that I would never have been able to do it on my own.

Can't wait to hit another onsen... though, I know it'll be a while before I won't feel some level of uncomfortableness... especially right at the beginning... and an even longer time before I'll be able to hit onsens by my lonesome.