Bad Teen Movie. That is what a Belarussian Fitness Center Women's Locker Room reminds me of. I can't believe I wasnt expecting it.

Here's the story: Tonya works most days, 9am-6:30pm. SO, in an effort to keep me entertained, she got me a month's membership to a brand-new, really nice fitness center (and by nice, I mean 4-stories high, filled with the best equipment, everyone has to cover their shoes with blue plastic things before you walk past the lobby so not to get the floor dirty, has indoor soccer, something like 12 soccer fields outside and doesn't even smell!)

As Tonya and I entered the 2nd story locker room, the door opened straight into naked women. There is no curved hallway for privacy protection, just women, mostly naked, walking around, blow drying their hair, talking, etc... If there was a guy walking past and just happened to look up at the right time (which I am sure some have managed to do) he would have a face full of nakie-ness. It reminded me of some locker room scene out of a movie.

Deep down I knew as I entered the locker room that I was going to have to get over my fears of nudity in masses, but the moment that my surpressed feelings of my dignity soon being stripped (haha, ya get it? stripped?!) surfaced, was after I got to my locker and Tonya asked if I wanted to go into the sauna and I replied that I forgot my bathing suit. It was then, in that pause before Tonya spoke again, that I realized no bathing suit was needed. I am sure she saw it in my eyes, the look of slight horror, but she humored me anyway and responded with a little hesitation that they usually go naked. She followed it up with,"Oh, is that ok? I am sorry...." I looked myself in an imaginary mirror and reassured myself that I will come out alive, and maybe the experience will even give me a little enlightenment...plus, if I cant go into a sauna with a few naked people and make it out alive, how am I supposed to go into a bunch of completely new countries on my own?!..So, I told her that everything was okay and i will go into the sauna.

I will spare you the details of the sauna-sans-undies, as I like to call it, but I made it out alive (and sweaty).

Overall, the locker room was a positive experience. Even though people do not go to any lengths to cover themselves up, it kind of gave me a sense of ruthlessness that I can do anything. If I can bare all in a locker room full of skinny-ass Belarussians, I can now do anything.

The nude beaches of southern France better watch out:)