Sleeping In A Car

We did a bit of a test run last weekend — we drove out to visit Lisa’s parents in central New York.  On our way out, we stopped at a rest area to sleep a bit.  Lisa took the back seat, I leaned the passenger seat back, and we learned a few things:

• We knew that light (and privacy) would be an issue sometimes.  Boy is that true.  Creepy dudes at the rest stop, we need privacy from you.  Lisa solved the light problem with an eye mask, but we can do better than that.
• Air!  We need air flow.  It was a very pleasant summer night, but it got hot and stuffy fast inside the car.  We need both screened windows (or vents) and fans.  The air needs to be fresh and needs to move.
• Flatness — you never really appreciate the flatness of your mattress until you try to sleep on something uneven.  Bumps and dents make things ridiculously uncomfortable.  The plan for a real bed is still our only option.  Hello, minivan.
• We can make it work.  Sleeping at a rest stop, given the right vehicle and setup, can work.  There were a bunch of RVs and trucks stopped for the night and they looked tucked-in and tidy and we’ll be able to join them with the right setup.

Next test run: Paris.  Not sure what we’ll be testing there … our place looks pretty small so it’ll be good to see if we can make tasty meals with a hotplate and a mini-fridge.