Princess and the Pea?

Do you know this story? The princess who had many mattresses and still couldn't sleep because of the pea under them all? Go here for the full story.

What’s your bed like? Is your mattress hard or soft? Is it a hammock, twin, double, queen, or king mattress? Do you sleep on one specific side of the bed or do you take up the whole thing? What’s your pillow like? Hard, soft, thick, thin, down, cotton? Do you have a sheet, down comforter, or a quilt? Does it require a mosquito net? What’s the color scheme? Warm or cool colors? Who provided that bed? Did you and your spouse purchase it together? Is it in a room at your mom’s house? Is it borrowed? When you lay in it…are you tossing and turning praying for daybreak? Or are you sound asleep dreaming? There’s a lot of variables to consider with a bed. Sometimes I feel like that princess, except I was sleeping in a hammock or on the ground and could actually feel the rocks! 

Grades Pasos Finca in Panama...I can sleep in 30 minute intervals in a hammock, Kyle on the other hand is 6'4" and can barely fit. 

From Jan 22- July 30, we slept in 17 different beds. Some were hard like the plywood loft at Grandes Pasos Finca and some were soft like at Lisa’s house. Some consisted of hammock like at Finca Santa Marta with the frogs jumping around us. Some were a twin bed (yes shared with the 6’ 4” Kyle like the air mattress in the tent). And still some were heavenly like the guest bedroom at Kelly’s house or her mom’s dorm.

Hero's house in Hondruas. Our bed often looks like this from packing and unpacking at every stop.  Tomorrow morning when you get dressed for the day, say a little thanks for your dresser and/or closet. I can't wait to hang my clothes on hangers!!!! 

San Pedro, Guatemala...hard hard hard.

Our pillows have ranged from soft, sweet smelling new cotton to our old nasty sweatshirt (which we are using right now for the week).

Oh, so that only took us to July 30. It’s now the beginning of September. In the month of August we slept in another 13 beds. Some back in the tent using every piece of clothing we own in an attempt to pad our hip bones, knees, shoulders, and don’t forget the ribs. One in a hostel room with a giant mural of Bob Marley where the cleanliness was very questionable. Sometimes you just have to not look or ask questions. One in the home of a kind Honduran grandma and her cute grandsons who would slide hand drawn pictures under our door daily. Some of which we would not be able to sleep if it weren’t for the mosquito net protecting our skin from those devil born bugs.

Bigfoot Hostel in Leon, Nicaragua

The Lazy Man's Farm...it is for that time in life I am so thankful for a pillow when I have one.

Grandes Pasos Finca in Panama...after we couldn't sleep in the hammocks and were freezing, we moved inside to the laminate wood on top of a plastic bag on top of real plywood....very hard. 

Your quality of sleep depends on a lot too. Your physical comfort : plywood, hammocks, mattresses like the one we are on now = sleeping in 20 minutes intervals having to switch positions when body parts fall a sleep. Or overnight buses = half asleep. You want to be sleeping, but it’s so cold your shivers keep you slightly awake.) Your physical health : Dengue fever for 1 week = spiking fevers leave you delusional. I rolled over asking Kyle what time it was hoping the sun would appear soon. His response…10pm. It was a long long night. Or say if you have a poison ivy breakout all over your body from roasting cashews = an itchy, burning, long long night).

Heaven...I mean a beach house at Cabo Matapalo, Costa Rica with the DuGreniers

Cabaña at Las Lajas, Panama with James and Yari. Look at those buff guys! 

The other side of both of these variables leave you sleeping like a baby fully rested in the morning. Those are the best nights and unfortunately few and far between right now. What's the craziest bed you've slept in? What's your favorite kind of bed? Or what makes your bed unique or just plain comfortable?

In 8 months, that’s 30 very different beds. No matter the home that provided the bed or sleeping area, we are very grateful for them all.