Sleeping Around in 2013

This article may contain affiliate links where I make a small commission for purchases you make from links that you click from this article. By purchasing through these links, you support me at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

I walked away from the homeless man on the street in Inwood as he asked me for money and one thought ran through my mind – “How am I any different than him?” We are both homeless. We both make little money and survive under the poverty line. But why am I staying in an apartment in upper Manhattan, and he is not? Why do I have a subway transit card, and he doesn’t?

Most people would immediately answer, “Because you work and have a job.”

Well, yes – I work, but for very little pay. I wonder sometimes if I wouldn’t make more money by peddling on the streets. Yet I certainly am not ready to try that out – after all, I’m a horrible singer. So yes – I’m working, but I put in ridiculous hours and get very little monetary value.

I’m not stupid; I understand there are likely some vast differences between the homeless man in Inwood and me – education and financial savings to start with. But when it comes down to it, I think the answer to my question on what makes us different is, “I have friends and family who are well-established all around the world who support me.” It is them who provide me a bed or some sort of surface/shelter to sleep on every night. And because of them, I am eternally thankful.

In fact, this year, they have supported me and my life in constant motion more than most years. This is the time of year, a time when my country gives thanks, that I look back on 2013 and determine just how much motion I’ve been in and how many beds I’ve slept in. As I counted these up for 2013, I was pretty astonished. I knew I had a very busy year and it felt as if I was moving around a lot, but my total count of beds definitely confirmed that.

So far in 2013, I have slept in 107 different ‘beds’!

In 2013, I moved to a different bed about every 3rd day.

I use the word ‘bed’ lightly – sometimes, it’s a real bed, a sleeping bag, a couch, an air mattress, a futon, or a sofa sleeper. As long as I can be horizontal, I’m pretty happy. However, I’ve also had the other extremes – pure luxury – sleeping in lovely hotels, condos, castles, cabins, and gorgeous homes via Airbnb. I’ve also had my share of beds I slept in while in motion this year, including trains, boats, and planes. This is what I love about my life – it’s full of variety.

Here’s a collection of some of my favorite places I slept in 2013 – luxurious, unusual, and homey.

Sleeping and Hiking at Ecocamp, Patagonia

Camping remotely during my kayaking trip in Torres Del Paine, Chile

Sleeping among antiques at Blomidon Inn, Nova Scotia

Radisson Blu Chicago – quite possibly the best pillows ever!

The place I slept in the longest – one month in this gorgeous apartment in Berlin.

However, in the back of my head, I have this little nagging worry about the reliance I have on my friends and family for beds. When do I cross over from an interesting nomadic traveler into a freeloader homeless person in their eyes? It’s a fine line to me – one that I’m constantly aware of and worried about. However – there is no need to worry about what could be; it’s better to be in the present – so this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for beds and the friends/family and businesses who provide them to me.

What were some of your favorite places you slept around in 2013?