I've had many situations like this. What happens is that our dreams are not always consisted of a storyline as we think of it, but it is actually made of chained thoughts while you're in REM sleep. You may actually be thinking rationally, but inside a dream that wasn't pre-made. If you think of your dog, the image of it will slowly show up, and so on. It's similar to a really deep level of meditation.


I've had this last night when I was on my beach house, trying to figure otu where I was. I finally concluded I was on my main house, but seconds after I woke up and saw myself at the beach house; driving me confused.
I'm pretty sure it wasn't a regular dream, and I was kind of aware, although not completely. Yes, waking memories were hard to reach. Guess it's the same when you're in a dream.

Try to think of this like a born-blind person's dreams.