A Good Nights Sleep

In order to answer the question, "Where do you sleep?", I have simply taken pictures of where we have slept the past couple weeks.  As it is not my habit to document our sleeping patterns, a few places are missing, and a few pictures are staged after we have cleaned up our bedding, but you will get the picture.

Most of the time our family shares a room.

Imagine sleeping bags and an air mattress for this one.

Sometimes we have more room than we know what to do with.

Sometimes we have just enough space for everyone on tour to sleep on the floor together.  This is called "mega bed".

Sometimes we sleep at a RYFO home.  They are a network of homes who purpose to support touring bands with shelter, food and prayer.

To answer a few follow up questions:

Do you take bedding with you?

We travel with our own pillows, 2 kid sized sleeping bags and a blanket.

How do you sleep on the road?

Most of the time we sleep really well, but sometimes we don't.

Have you ever slept in your car?
No, we have never slept in the car.

If you can't find a home to stay in where do you sleep?
We have slept in the back of a record shop, a bicycle shop, info shops and a restaurant.

What if you can't find a home, record shop, bike shop, info shop or restaurant to sleep in?

We hop on Hotwire and get a hotel.  This is a rare occurrence, maybe twice a year.

Who are those other people in your pictures?
Those extra people are the other musicians we are currently touring with. They are pretty great.

What is the strangest thing that has happened to you as it pertains to places you have slept on tour?

Last fall we slept at a music venue.  We packed up our things the next morning and were ready to leave when we discovered we were locked IN the venue.  We couldn't get  a hold of our friend who ran the venue so we found a screwdriver (luckily) and Kevin took off the locks so we could get out and then replaced them.

So...where do you live?

Where do we live? That is not an easy question to answer.  We don't really live in our car...at least we don't sleep in it.  

Although it does feel homey...to us.  

Our "stuff" is nestled here in Missouri at Kevin's dad's house. 

We circle back to Saint Louis every couple months to rest, visit the dentist and doctor, go through our mail, repack for the new season and spend time with family. The kids love their room that grandpa set up for them in his house.  But this isn't OUR home. So I might answer your question by saying we don't live anywhere OR we live everywhere.

 We live day to day with people we meet that choose to share their homes with us. Like this one.

 And this one. 

Sometimes people think their homes are too small or too crowded. This has never been true. We are always thankful for a place to rest our heads. To everyone who has shared their homes with us THANK YOU! We truly appreciate it.

The idea of "home" is important for most people, and therefore my answer of "no where" is unsettling.  It is unsettling for me sometimes too.  The truth is our situation holds me accountable to remember this truth revealed in a prayer of Moses.  "Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations." (Psalm 90:1)  That unsettling feeling turns into a deep contentment that washes over me as we pack up once again and head to the next place.

 "If it feels like nothing is the way it should be, take heart.  This feeling's meant for comforting."

-Kevin Schlereth

Perspective

In June 2011, our family moved out of the home we had rented for two years in Saint Louis, MO. Our belongings were packed up in boxes and stacked into a corner of my father in law's basement and we started this life on the road. Madeline was 2 years old when we started. 

Now, she is 6 years old.

 This gives me perspective. 

 Over these years of touring I have fielded lots of questions about what we do and how we live. I never feel like I can adequately answer these questions. So this space will be my place to answer the most common questions I hear with pictures and a few words. Starting with, "Where do you live?".  If you have a question you would like to see answered here just leave a comment.