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I’ve frequented three nude beaches across three different continents. One in California—Black’s Beach, one of the biggest nude beaches in North America. Another in Argentina—Playa Escondida, which claims to be the only legal nude beach in the country. And one in Spain—Playa Morena, in a nation with no shortage of nude beaches.

After each and every visit, one truth became glaringly apparent: “If you’re good at something, never do it for free.” Contrary to what you might assume, nude beach goers aren’t known for their youthfulness, physical fitness, or modelesque bodies. In my limited exposure, patrons are mostly older, often overweight, not particularly well-endowed. But they are always incredibly tan and clearly stopped caring long ago what people think.

There was one notable exception to this observation. In Argentina, I was gearing up to drop my pants, when an incredibly lithe and sunkissed American in his late 20s, rocking brunette dreadlocks touching his buttocks, raced past me with—I kid you not—two blonde beauties on either side of him.

Not only was the man frolicking into the ocean with two stunning, buck-naked young women, he was… how can I eloquently put this—hung like a horse. His enlarged but flaccid penis dangled just above his knees.

After realizing I was not starring in a comedic movie, I quickly pulled up my pants and turned to exit the beach. I simply felt far too inadequate as a pasty, slightly pudgy, and (hopefully?) average-sized man to share the beach with this trio of young, attractive people, who didn’t even notice the coterie of disbelieving onlookers gawking at their good fortune.

The vast majority of nude beach goers will probably never encounter such an experience. But every able adult should still visit a nude beach at least once in their life. Here’s why.

Feel more confident

As it turned out, Playa Escondida was the only chance I had to swim in a natural body of Argentine water, and I blew it. All because I was deeply insecure and embarrassed by what tightly hung between my legs.

Although I chickened out that day, the resulting feeling of inadequacy forced me to confront the parts of my body I didn’t like. It took me a while, but I was eventually able to laugh off the situation, come away with a great story, and try again. I later did this at the aforementioned beach in Spain. By then, I wasn’t nearly embarrassed. I shared all my imperfections with the imperfect world. It was empowering.

The sooner we become comfortable in our own skin, the better. Not just the outside, ephemeral, aging skin with all its inadequate comparisons. But especially the inside skin—the stuff between our irregularly shaped and increasingly hairy ears. The mental skin.

Aversion to nude beaches is really an aversion to seeing the parts of ourselves we don’t like. Being naked in front of strangers terrifies us not because we’re embarrassed to find the same wedding tackle we were all born with. It terrifies us because it forces us to confront the mental insecurities we want to remain hidden.

That’s why everyone should visit a nude beach at least once in life.

Where the sun don’t shine

Everyone loves the sun. We wouldn’t be here without it. Not only is it life-giving, but it’s incredibly soothing in the right situations and capable of transplanting us far from the routine and mundane aspects of everyday life.

The sun is also incredibly healthy when taken in moderation, which many of us get on vacation. But I cannot share how comforting it is to expose your nether parts to vitamin D for the first time. It’s like a life hack or cheat code for the epidermis. It is incredibly liberating, especially when paired with an above confident boost, which can heighten the feeling of extreme relaxation while letting it all hang out.

In truth, nude beaching is a new way to experience nature. It is full-on nature bathing—not just partial nature bathing. That’s the other reason everyone should visit a nude beach at least once in their life. If you love the outdoors, you owe it to your genitals to properly introduce them.

Being naked is scary. I get it. But “travel” should be scary sometimes. Which is where nude beaches really exceed.

In my experience, there is nothing better at exposing and liberating our deepest insecurities than a nude beach. There’s no better place to literally and figuratively reveal ourselves than in the presence of strangers, fully naked, with the blazing sun stamping out our darkest secrets, showcasing our imperfections, and energizing our loins.

Let’s get naked already.

About the author: Blake Snow contributes to fancy publications and Fortune 500 companies as a bodacious writer-for-hire and frequent travel journalist. He lives in Provo, Utah with his wife, five children, and one ferocious chihuahua.