Our family began traveling to Maine when I was around 15. It's a gorgeous place but the water is frigid, and it took a couple of trips before I was willing to go in the water. I was finally inspired to do this because of a beach I found. It was so serene, so natural. I happened to have no bathing suit, but this was the kind of beach where you knew something like that wouldn't matter. So I took off my clothes, set them on some rocks, and then slipped into the water. It was freezing. I was only able to stand it for about 10 minutes of it, and then I stretched out on some rocks on an island about 50 yards from the shore. I needed the sun to warm me up. Well, as this was only my third trip to New England, I was not quite accustomed to the massive tides there. After warming to a degree that allowed me to brave the temperature of the water between my island and the beach, I began to swim back. When I arrived on the shore I realized that it was high tide, and I must have laid my clothes on the rocks during low tide. 

My clothes were gone! My sneakers were bobbing in the surf, but that's all I could find. I was stranded on the beach with only my sandals! What made this whole situation a bit tricky was that I had walked to this beach from the house in which we were staying. I had no car to go to and get some more clothes, or even a towel. My parents had gone sightseeing for the day, and I knew when they would be back. If I waited for night before I began my trek back not many people would see me as I walked down the road naked, but then again, arriving at the door nude with my parents there didn't look all that promising. If I wanted to arrive at the house before my parents did I would have to leave right away. And it was 4 o'clock, and it was June. It was perfectly light! So I began my daring journey. 

This was no serene country road. There were many a row of houses, many a person who peered out their window, and so many cars drove by and beeped that I lost count. It was exhilarating, but deeply embarrassing. All in all I walked just about two miles. I met a man walking his dog. We waved at each other. I made it home before my parents, and they were blissfully unaware of my two mile streak in broad day-light. But in my rush and panic to get home I forgot that the key to the house had been in my short's pocket. I was locked out. I had to think of something. 

I was desperate, and in that desperation I decided to go find the lady that owned the house that we were currently renting. She also owned the town grocery, which is where she would currently be working. So I sprinted down there, which was on the very edge of town. 

As I entered I got many a shocked look. I rushed over to the counter to explain the lady the situation I was in, and I asked her if she had a spare key. Her startled face began to laugh. And she said she did. She went back and got it, and I was just about to rush out the door, when the lady informed me that she had a marvelous idea. She offered to lend me some clothes. I had never thought of that! All I wanted to do was get home. I then heard a snap behind me. A man behind me had taken my picture. The lady behind the counter obviously knew this man, and she began to yell at him. I was too startled to get mad. She made the man promise that would get the roll of film developed before I left, and that he would give me the picture he took. So now fully clothed, and key in hand, I made my way back to the house. Not before I made the lady promise not to tell my parents the whole story. She laughingly agreed. But the next day when we went down to the store in the little town, I got about three humorous looks. My parents saw about two of those looks, and I was in a tight place explaining them. I never did really, but then again my parents never found out that probably upwards of 50 people saw me naked that day. 

I kept that story to my self for several years, but then I saw the picture (included) just the other day that was taken of me on that day, and then I saw the great amount of comic relief in it, and when I look back on it I see my youth, and I see an innocence. I was beautiful, so why should I have worried?

Meghan H.