Do you know the phrase beggars can’t be choosers? Well, I agree with this to a certain extent… But I also think that you should try to be discriminatory before you jump into any situation. Even if someone is doing you a favor, you should probably check on the details and conditions that are coming along with the whole deal. I’ve learned this the hard way many times during my cross-country travels. I’m always looking for a free place to stay, and I’m very appreciative when somebody offers me a couch or a spare room. Unfortunately, many times those temporary sleeping situations also included terrible indoor air quality. There was the time that I stayed in such a smokey house that you could see the indoor air. There was the time that I was surrounded by so much animal hair that it floated on airstreams from each air vent whenever the air conditioning system started up. And there have been countless times when I’ve unknowingly signed up to sleep somewhere without a cooling system at all. All of these low-quality indoor air temperature conditions have resulted in a terrible night of sleep and a respiratory illness the next morning when I wake up. These days, I know it’s a bit rude, but I always ask my potential hosts about the quality of their indoor air temperature control systems. I simply can’t stand another sleepless night of sweating through the sheets without any air conditioning. I am at the age where I am not willing to risk my mental or physical health for a lumpy couch when I’m going to be surrounded by dirty, humid indoor air, anyways.