I am 34 years old, and I'd like to think I am somewhat sexually knowledgeable. In the past year alone, I've done and tried things I wouldn't even have ever thought were me or my style. And yet, I find myself bordering on obsession for new experiences and sensations. I prefer to call myself Adventurous.

My lover passed along an invitation to a women-only party at a local swing club. Now, I've dated some women before and been in threesomes, but I've never been to a party totally dedicated to the dalliances of women. Being new to the San Francisco Bay Area, I don't know many women here, so this sounded like it might be fun. He was supportive, encouraging me to go, and while initially I was very excited, when the time approached, I began to become very anxious. "Who me? In a situation like this alone?"

The women's party was to be held Friday evening. The same group runs a very popular Saturday night Couples' Swing party and I almost wished - for a brief moment - that my lover would be with me and we would be going to the couples party instead.

When I had my phone interview with the party hostesses (a screening process which seems a wise step to me), I was advised it was not all about sex - there were an eclectic mix who attended and sometimes used the situations to network. The purpose was to create a safe atmosphere without the presence of men - whom we all readily admit can change the dynamic of a room.

The party was being held at a private residence. My boyfriend dropped me off in front of the door, and with a last gasp of nervous air, I grabbed my bag and headed off into the unknown. I'd been told to dress casually for my entrance; there were lockers inside where I could store my belongings and any outfits I wanted to wear later in order to assist me in getting into that "sensual mood".

Without going into a real-estate examination of the interior of the house, there was a foyer for greeting and money exchange and a living room for private conversations or group discussions. Past this was a room with an hors d'oeuvres buffet. When I am nervous I fill a plate, so I grabbed the veggies and wandered into the kitchen, an off-shoot of the buffet-room.

The fridge was stacked with every conceivable selection of soda and bottled water. The rule of the party though was BYOB - you were welcome to bring your own champagne or wine, but no harder liquor or beer. I think they wanted to keep anyone from getting too out of hand.

The hostess made sure that we newer folks knew where the indoor hot-tubs were as well as the private rooms. It was a clothing-optional tub and being so drawn to water as I am, I decided then and there that I would visit that room again. Perhaps (and maybe it's just me who thinks this) there is something sisterly and goddess-like about women being naked with other women in a non-sexual manner. It's just a congregation where the nakedness is almost an afterthought. It reminded me of the sweat-lodges of old where women made all the real decisions about life in a tribe and had the final say. I marked the location of the tub on my internal map.

There were many clandestine rooms. Some were open, so if you had a voyeuristic streak or exhibitionistic bent to you, there was ample opportunity for you to watch or be watched. Each room had its own strategically-placed cache (yet tastefully hidden) group of safe-sex objects - condoms, cling-wrap (make-shift dental dams) and more. Women were also encouraged to bring their own toys to experiment on other women with. I brought my Hitachi and my Fukuoku Five Finger Massage Glove.

Your author has been involved in orgies, bi-sexual sex and kinky sex - name it and there is a fair chance I have already done it. I have to admit that I have a deep-seated attraction to women, but my initial shyness becomes a problem. I want to be seduced. Luckily, there were ample opportunities for that.

There was one special section of rooms they called the Train Room: this was a room with two beds, one on top of the other, with curtains to draw closed for privacy. If you've ever been on a sleeper car on a train, you'll know exactly what I mean. They're quite spacious and comfortable on the inside. Except they're difficult to get into. I admit, I fell down as I was trying to get into an upper bunk to share some time with a gorgeous woman that I had met earlier that evening.

The kitchen seemed to be a neutral meeting place. I started talking to another woman, also attending her first woman's party. She was a mother and also in phenomenal shape. She told me her story: She'd made out with a girl in high-school, and it just became something she felt she'd wanted to try in a fuller manner or forever regret the chance of not knowing. So she took a chance on coming to a party like this to see if she could fulfill some of those old fantasies.

She'd brought two bottles of champagne - neither of which she could open, so I did the honors for her, and then she was kind enough to share. We quite naturally fell into an easy conversation, and I found myself finding her more and more attractive as time went on. She was intelligent, funny, sarcastic and simply a lovely woman. She was 27 and seemed up for just about anything - which is not to say she was over-eager. She had her reservations, as did I.

Both being "newbies," we decided to stick together as we explored more fully - power in numbers, you see! Now, personally, I don't bond well with women - which is not to say that they do not make me hot or that I am not attracted to them. For me to find someone that I am attracted to is a wondrous thing. But after a little Champagne and a little talk, I simply leaned over and kissed this beautiful woman as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It was all that I hoped for and expected.

For me, being involved with a woman one-on-one verges on a spiritual experience. Okay, that may sound silly to you, but there is something so divine about the female form in all its shapes and incarnations that it does very much approach the divine for me. In my own personal expressions of divinity, I truly believe women were once the vessels used for communication between humans and gods. There is a lot of history to back me up (I can provide a bibliography upon request). My most profound evidence: see how many men you know who cry out "OH GOD!" in bed. Point made.

There's something intensely erotic about two women kissing with complete and utter abandon, to the point where they forget anyone else is in the room. I found myself kissing more and more women trying to see the face of the divine, but I think I need a closer relationship and more emotional attachment for the face of the goddess to show.

The girl I met in the kitchen ("Nancy"), had a life-long fantasy about being with a woman. Her husband was being very supportive about her experimenting and until this moment it had been ONLY a fantasy. She really had no interest in involving men into her acting out but she felt her husband may have seen this as an opportunity to gently introduce her into the Swinging Lifestyle. Who knows, maybe someday I'll see her there again at a couples party. But for now she was pretty clear that being alone with a woman was what she wanted and needed.

After a quick dip in the tub where I went naked as a jaybird and Nancy wore her undies (which was ridiculous because she was absolutely gorgeous) we had a long discussion about Couples' Swinging. I confessed to her that this was my first experience in this genre, but that my lover and I have discussed trying something even more in the future. The thing that made me so comfortable in that atmosphere in particular is that no means no, no feelings get hurt, and everyone is pretty adult about the whole thing. She agreed with me, and said that her fear of adding men to the mix might change her comfort level - thinking her body was being graded or feeling like a side of meat being chosen from a deli. This made me laugh because I'd had similar thoughts myself.

Nancy and I then returned to one of the "train rooms" where, as I mentioned before, I fell down trying to get into the stupid thing. But it was worth the effort and wonderful to feel her naked flesh pressed up against mine. Kissing seemed to be the order of the day, and while I was ready and willing to go further (remember- bag of toys and more lube than you could every explain to your mom should she see your purse), I think she had a natural reticence to go beyond some erotic petting, it being her first time there. That was fine with me. We had a great time together. Later, we left and walked around holding hands.

I was truly amazed at all the different types of women who attended. It was a varied mix of gay and bi-sexuals, women who had never been with women before, professionals, tall, thin, heavier-set - each with her own comfort in her innate sexuality. Somehow, without men around you find yourself not judging other women's bodies by what they have or don't have. Each woman was a goddess in her own right.

The women were all very complimentary to one another. They touched my hair and told me how beautiful it was; one woman, with a simple sweet kiss on my cheek, touched my face and told me how lovely I was. It wasn't overt, but rather a validation of how we were all feeling about one another.

Again I found myself kissing another woman - even if it did not lead to sex and it was erotic, sensual and comforting in an odd sense.

And it wasn't all about sex, either. There were conversations and networking for work, friendships, writing seminars and art exhibits. I felt truly at home listening in to these discussions and it helped put me at ease. I had the completely mistaken notion that this was going to be nothing more than a "find-someone-and-fuck-fest", but it was the furthest thing from the truth that I could have ever imagined.

Although this was - to me - an extension of the "Swing atmosphere", (something I am not sure I am ready to try) this seemed more comfortable and more relaxed. If this is the archetypical Swing experience that couples have, I think I could really enjoy this.

The dichotomy for me is this: I enjoy being with other people. I enjoy the seduction and the hunt. It's something I've done my whole life even while in relationships, though my partner might not have been aware of it at the time. It didn't mean I loved my partner less; it just meant there was something inside me which needed the hunt, the seduction and the play. But here comes the rougher part for me - I honestly don't know how I would feel about my present partner watching me. Would it ruin the illicit pleasure I derive? I really don't know.

It's absolutely ridiculous (and I never promised to make any sense whatsoever), but to have a strange cock inside me and fast approaching orgasm, then to look over and see my partner's face buried in a woman's pussy (and trust me, he's really good at that)… would it ruin my experience? Would I lose the orgasm? Would I be hurt or jealous? I don't want to be, but I simply don't know.

To be completely honest, I won't know until I am actually in that situation. We're fairly open to either sharing ourselves with a man or a woman - or a couple. When the situation arises I suppose I will have to wait and see how things progress. But I have a sneaking suspicion I might like to share our bed with another - momentarily. No staying overnight, no breakfast and eggs in the morning. I want to gauge my reactions and I'll need some solitude to process my feelings. But I want to feel my reactions - even if it is jealousy (there's something powerful even in that). I want to see him enjoy himself. And then I want the guest(s) to leave.

At any rate, I would say my first foray was a success, and I can't wait to get in there and try something again. Maybe you'll meet me there?