(CNN) — Filled with nerves, I intentionally left my bikini behind before embarking on my first nudist beach experience on the uninhabited Lokrum Island in Croatia.

This was the only way I could be sure that the fear of baring it all in front of strangers wouldn’t cause me to back out at the last minute.

After scanning the rocky beach, located on the south-eastern part of the island, I positioned myself on a rock right next to the water so I could dive in to cool off — or if I felt shy.

As the sun warmed my body, my uneasiness around being naked in public soon melted away with the heat.

Then a boat packed with tourists clutching long lens cameras crept close to the shore. Aghast, I jumped into the ocean, allowing the deep blue sea to shield me from their curious gazes.

Despite this rather unwelcome interruption, my love of nude beaches officially began on that day in 2016, and I was soon seeking them out everywhere I went.

Darcy Tuscano, an educational development consultant who…