Sunday, July 7, 2013

Day 56 - Sleeping in an RV

I have never slept in an RV. I realize many people may see this as a “gimme” event on the “I have never...” list, but sleeping in an RV is one of those things everyone should probably experience at some point in their life. Plus, the fact that my brother, Ian, had his RV parked in the lake house driveway for this weekend’s events gave me an amazing refuge after a 16 hour Saturday to Sunday marathon bachelor party session. As a result, I decided to sleep in an RV for the first time when Abe’s bachelor party finally drew to a close early Sunday morning.

My first experience sleeping in an RV came about around 4:00 am Sunday morning. Quickly running out of steam from a party that began before 10:00 am the previous day, I walked up to the lake house from the fire pit resting on the property’s lower level. As I ascended the wooded path between the levels of the property, I looked up at the sky to see starlight fading against a soft light emerging somewhere along the eastern horizon. Unaware of the time at that moment, I was caught off guard by the presence of dawn. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said under my breath as I walked, with the sound of my footsteps drown out by the few boisterous partygoers still standing around the fire. My feet felt heavy as I climbed the hill toward the lake house, which prompted me to wonder how I had made it so deep into the night after previous day’s events. My body was clearly signaling it was time for rest, and I was ready to oblige.

The rig

With my eyes heavy I glanced up from the ground as I crest the hill in the backyard. I let out a sigh of relief as the sight of the massive white RV met my eyes. “Time for bed...” I muttered as I continued around the front of the RV and found the door. My arm felt heavy as I reached out and pulled the door handle. With the door open I climbed the stairs to the inside of the RV and looked around in the dark. I was surprised to find the space was much more open than I expected. Its size was comparable to some studio apartments I have seen, and it had more than enough sleeping space for me to occupy. After taking in the interior of the RV, I turned around and closed the door, which clicked closed with more force than I expected. The sound of metal latch bounced off the interior walls of the RV and stirred my brother Ian to life. Unaware he was sleeping in the RV, I felt my heart jump at the surprise of another human voice in the space. Ian sat up in a bed I had not noticed previously and mumbled a brief statement about blankets before collapsing back into the bed. Apologizing for waking him, I turned to a moderately sized bed in front of me, flopped onto the top of the bed, and pulled a blanket over my body. Perhaps influenced by my state of exhaustion, the bed felt exceptionally comfortable. With a soft pillow under my head, I rolled to my side and found the perfect resting position on the contouring mattress beneath me. Seconds later I was asleep.

The interior

The comfort of the RV bed helped me sleep well into the morning. I slept soundly until rising heat and the sound of Ian cleaning up the property from the bachelor party aftermath brought me to life around 9:30. For some time I laid in the RV bed listening to the sounds of birds through the small window propped open at my left. I was surprised at how comfortable and relaxed I was in the portable living space. For some reason I had expected otherwise, but I was happy to learn I would have no problem sleeping in an RV again if I encountered the opportunity. Eventually rising from my bed and exiting the RV, I felt refreshed and ready to face the day. The RV had proven the perfect sleeping environment to recover from the previous day’s events, which was a well-needed occurrence.

SLEEP.

My first experience sleeping in an RV was a positive one. Although it didn’t occur on some epic road trip, I can honestly say I’m happy I had the chance to experience an RV in a familiar location with alternative accommodations. I’m always a fan of a backup plan, even if it is not needed because of a surprisingly comfortable living and sleeping environment. While I don’t know when I will have the chance to sleep in an RV again, I’m happy I learned my brief experience with such a vehicle was one that suited me well. Knowing I can get comfortable and sleep well in an RV is a lesson worth learning during my “I have never...” journey. After all, who knows where the rest of the year will take me?

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