Sunlit Journeys: Ethan and Lila’s Odyssey in Kerala and the Middle East

 In 2013, Ethan and Lila left Goa’s sunlit shores for Kerala, where Ethan’s new role as an environmental consultant awaited. Their bungalow in Thiruvananthapuram, nestled amid banana groves, became their new home. With toddler Maya in tow, they sought to weave naturism into their lives despite Kerala’s conservative leanings. The beaches here, like Kovalam, were busier, less secluded than Querim. They found a private cove near Varkala, reachable only by a winding cliff path. Early mornings, they’d slip away, shedding clothes to swim in the warm Arabian Sea. The freedom felt familiar, but the cultural backdrop was stricter. Locals occasionally stared, and once, a fisherman gestured disapproval. Ethan and Lila learned to time their visits carefully, respecting the community’s norms while cherishing their quiet rebellion.

Their naturist gatherings shifted indoors, confined to their courtyard, now screened by bamboo and hibiscus. They hosted small, discreet events, inviting a few like-minded expats and locals they’d met through environmental circles. Over fish moilee and appam, they fostered the same body-positive ethos as in Goa, though the vibe was more cautious. A young Keralite couple, Anil and Priya, joined one evening, nervous but curious. Lila’s warmth put them at ease, and by night’s end, they shared how shedding clothes felt like shedding shame. Yet, challenges persisted. A neighbor’s complaint in 2014 forced them to pause gatherings, and they relied on beach mornings for their naturist fix. Maya, now three, splashed in the shallows, blissfully unaware of the cultural tightrope her parents walked.

In 2015, Ethan’s work took them to Dubai, a stark shift to the Middle East’s glittering, conservative heart. Their apartment in Jumeirah offered little privacy, and public nudity was unthinkable. Naturism seemed impossible, but Lila, ever resourceful, found a workaround. They rented a small desert villa for weekends, an hour from the city, surrounded by dunes. There, under the vast sky, they reclaimed their practice, skinny-dipping in a private pool or sunbathing behind high walls. Maya, now five, thought it normal to play unclothed in the villa’s shaded garden, though they taught her to dress in public, navigating the region’s strict modesty laws.

Cultural differences loomed large. In Dubai, Ethan and Lila faced scrutiny from colleagues who misunderstood their lifestyle. A coworker spotted them at a naturist-friendly resort in Oman during a 2016 getaway, sparking whispers at Ethan’s firm. He addressed it calmly, explaining naturism’s non-sexual ethos, but the incident strained work relationships. Lila, working remotely as a graphic designer, felt isolated, missing Goa’s open-minded community. They connected with a small, underground expat naturist group, meeting in private villas for dinners of mezze and biryani. These gatherings, though rare, were lifelines, fostering trust in a region where openness was risky.

By 2017, they moved to Doha for Ethan’s next project. Qatar’s even stricter norms pushed their naturism further underground. They found solace in a rented coastal villa, where they could be bare under starlight, but the constant vigilance was draining. Lila struggled with the hijab expectations in public, feeling her body autonomy curtailed. They leaned on each other, teaching Maya resilience and self-acceptance through quiet talks. A 2018 incident tested them: a villa landlord, suspecting their gatherings, threatened to report them. Ethan defused it with diplomacy, but it underscored the region’s limits.

Through it all, they adapted. Kerala taught them discretion, the Middle East resilience. They faced cultural clashes—judgmental glances, whispered gossip—but held fast to their values. By 2018, as they planned a return to India, they stood in their Doha villa’s garden one last time, the desert breeze on their skin, Maya giggling nearby. They’d carried their sunlit freedom across borders, proving naturism wasn’t just a place but a mindset, one they’d nurture wherever life led next.