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My God, it wasn't just your run-of-the-mill gorgeous outdoor destination, it was a freaking, sparsely populated island in the Galapagos! "How could you people walk away from the sky and ensconce yourselves in walls. For chrissakes, come outside and sleep!"

Those were the thoughts that passed through my mind as I dragged my mattress off the rustic, yet sturdy, hand-cut, wooden bed frame and dragged it across the floor of the cutest little cabin I'd ever been in, and slammed it down outside on the edge of the deck under the wide-open night sky. I had no intention of sleeping indoors. When was the last time you found yourself on a remote island? Hello?!
This "activity" was not on the itinerary nor was it scheduled. It wasn't even discussed. It's one of those spontaneous ideas that popped in to my head as our group walked back to our cabins after a delicious dinner in a local home. Maybe 100 people or so lived on the island, so I wasn't worried about crime. I suppose a crab or other beachy critter could have meandered up to check out the snoring beast on the giant marshmallow, but the risk seemed worth it. The stars were minimal. (Darn seasonal cloud cover.) However, the location was nothing but a dream. The crash of the surf was amplified by the lava rock-laden shores and was but a few feet beyond the deck on which I planned to sleep.

I could not be dissuaded. "What if it rains?" "I'll get up and come inside or get my soap," I replied. "What about animals?" "If you hear me screaming, I'll allow you to rescue me." "What if you get cold?" "I'll come in and snuggle with you," I said.

So, on a puffy mattress on a deck on the edge of an island in the Galapagos, in the Pacific Ocean, a million miles from anywhere, I slumbered. I woke frequently to peek at the sky and listen to the surf crash. The bugs, beasts and rain all stayed away. Nothing happened. I slept, then I woke. I slept, then I woke. It was not restful , but had I stayed asleep, I wouldn't have the dreams that I now have of that night on a puffy mattress on a deck on the edge of an island . . . . .