Mobile Sleep is Cheap

I rarely have the money to afford a hotel or even a hostel, and couchsurfing is more fun anyways. There are times when couchsurfing doesn't come through, and I'm left keeping a watchful eye for any nook in the landscape I can crawl into, and the temperature can usually make it a more difficult find. If it's cold enough, a sleeping bag is needed. You can't just pull that out anywhere and crash, it's important to stay hidden to avoid any kind of police confrontation that would disturb your slumber.

Last night was on the edge, only really cold when I stopped walking and moving around. I found a lot of various nooks on the University of Arizona campus, but none could be deemed sleeping bag friendly. The first was on a dark park bench where I caught an hours sleep before cold set in. Next I found a gap between a bush and a building, but realized quickly that I was still somewhat visible. The last spot I found must of been some kind of architectural mistake, it was a long gap the building formed itself, almost like an alley way or a 3 wall court yard where no light was shed. I stayed there for a bit, but it seemed to perfect, like others may know about it and there was also no way to escape or even see if someone was coming.

Having got some info about the national forest, friendly for backpackers, I headed to the bus in hopes to get there by sunrise to find a camp spot and sleep the morning away. I'd gotten directions earlier from some people, so I waited a while and then parted with a dollar bill as I got on the bus. Almost right away I could tell it was going in the wrong direction, but it was warm and I was comfortable. A few hours later I'd been all over the city I'm sure, but well rested now and starting to recognize where I was again. I never made it to the forest, but for a dollar I got to sleep comfortably and warm, ready for today.

Sean has a similar plan when he goes to London later this year, where he'll save money on hotels one night by taking a night train to Paris. It's a pretty good trick, whether you're going in a circle or actually getting somewhere.

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