The beaches are known for the beautiful men and women who walk them. The active lifestyles lead to rather fabulous bodies, but don’t let that scare you away!

Yes, I joined the masses and strutted a thong bathing suit on Ipanema, a popular beach in Rio.

No, you will not be seeing photos. What happens in Rio…stays in Rio.

Thong bikinis to Brazilians are like pasta to the Italians or berets to the French. It makes sense if you think about… It is the normal bathing suit, anything more would seem like a granny panty. On the other hand, no Brazilian woman would ever think of going topless on the beach, it just isn’t appropriate.

Which leads us to the question…do you have to have a rock-solid body to wear this small of a bikini?

Take one walk down the beach in Rio and you will see that no age, body type, fitness level or insecurity defines who wears a thong on Brazilian beaches. Women are comfortable with their bodies despite the cellulite or unwanted jiggles they carry with them. It was refreshing to see all types of bodies and to experience women who weren’t ashamed of themselves.

The women are running around playing volleyball and soccer with not a care in the world. Most women from the US (including me) usually are worried if everything is covered and typically have a “sunning” bathing suit and a more active bathing suit for contact sports. In Rio it is all the same, the itsy bitsy bikini.

My first day on the beach I was nervous. Was everyone looking at me? Did the bathing suit look good? Is my white American booty going to get burned from the sun? To answer my questions, No, no one was looking at me. Everyone on the beach was wearing the same if not a smaller suit than I was. It didn’t matter if it looked good or not, as long as I walked confidently. And yes, when your booty hasn’t seen the sun in 20+ years no matter how much sunscreen you put on it will turn a slight shade of pink.

It’s a different culture that doesn’t question your body fat percentage, only your female pride. The culture is bold and women from age 20 – 90 will be walking examples of women’s freedom. I am not someone who would freely throw on a bathing suit that covers so little, but after a few days, I loved being a part of the crowd of women on the beach.

When in Rio…

Have you ever done something out of character and been glad you took the risk?