Memory Foam Mattresses and Popcorn Pillows

As you all realize, we rented a 'fully furnished' apartment when we arrived... although the definition of 'fully furnished' is somewhat debatable (and will be discussed later). This fully furnished apartment came with a bed, two pillows, and a sheet set, which consisted of a flat sheet, a fitted sheet, and two pillow cases.

Now let me explain, before you think I'm complaining, that we were somewhat lucky in the bed accessory department. When our friends Jennifer and Neil went to bed their first night in their apartment, they found out they had only one pillow and two fitted sheets... with no flat sheets at all. Of course, the fitted sheets did match, so I suppose that counts for something. Poor Neil spent a few nights using his hoodie as a pillow until the managed to get to the bookstore to purchase one.

Our sheets were not much to speak of... within a few hours of falling asleep on our first night, the fitted sheet, which was incredibly stretched and worn from God knows how many years of use, had slipped off all four corners and was kind of floating about the bed throughout the night. It was hot (since we didn't have a fan yet, and our AC was unusable since it dripped- loudly- inside when we had it on) so whenever either sheet- flat or fitted- came near us we just kind of shoved it away and both ended up in little piles at the end of the bed. Needless to say, we bought a new sheet set the next day.

The bed itself is not bad at all, it's a decent size and the frame is wood and fairly attractive looking. It even matches (pretty much) our bureau. The mattress now... it's our own special 'memory foam' mattress! As Neil said, it's a memory foam mattress because you'll remember it forever. This thing is essentially a large, thick slab of foam. Hard foam, hard enough that once you lay down you're stuck. You never move at night because you sink so far into the mattress that it's impossible. It's hard to get out of the bed in the morning... not because we're tired but because of the sheer effort involved in prying yourself out of the body-shaped ditch you're lying in. 

Then there are our pillows. Imagine taking a pillow and stuffing it full of damp (and therefore somewhat soft and not crunchy) popcorn. When you lay on it, you can feel hundreds and hundreds of individual bumps. They, unlike the mattress, aren't very squishy, so while your body sinks, your head just kind of sits on top of the pillow.

All joking aside, it's not a bad bed really. We're not uncomfortable, and we definitely have no problem falling asleep... which may be due to the fact that by the end of the day we're exhausted from exploring. Once you get used to it, it's actually somewhat comfortable... as long as you don't want to move in the middle of the night!