I took the longest train ride in the US. 6 things surprised me about the 53-hour adventure across the country.

My adventure began at Union Station in Chicago. Unlike the modern Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in my home city, New York, Union Station made me feel like I'd been transported to Europe.

I was stunned when I stepped inside the building. Towering pillars, marble floors, and intricate moldings reminded me of stations I've traveled through in Rome and Milan. It was a marvelous surprise to be in awe during the first moments of my cross-country adventure.

Booking a sleeping accommodation on an Amtrak train comes with many perks, including lounge access at stations that have them. Lucky for me, there's an Amtrak Metropolitan lounge in Chicago's Union Station.

Sleeper cabin tickets also come with meals on board, which passengers can eat in the dining car or in their rooms. On all of the overnight Amtrak trains I'd taken previously, an attendant came by to schedule my first meal once on board, providing available times for me to choose from.

So I was surprised when an attendant approached me while I was sitting in the lounge to make my dinner reservation.

This may seem like an insignificant detail of my trip, but establishing dinner plans before boarding allowed me to settle into my room with a more relaxed mindset.

If you can ignore the tight space (and the toilet inches from the showerhead), my en suite bathroom may seem no different than the one in the last hotel room you booked.

It was stocked with neatly tucked and cleverly stored towels. Full-sized bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash hung from the wall (above the toilet). And the water got as hot as you could want.

The last time I slept in the top bunk on a sleeper train was during my first overnight Amtrak ride in 2021, and I didn't get much rest. I wasn't used to the bumpy rails, and the upper cot felt shakier than the one below. I felt anxious throughout the night as I drifted in and out of sleep.

Back then, I thought I'd never climb up to a top train bunk again. But that was five years ago, and I'd taken several overnight rides since. So, because I had two nights on the California Zephyr, I decided to give the upper cot another shot. I spent one night in each bunk so I could compare the two.

To my surprise, I ended up preferring the top bunk. I've gotten used to the movement of trains. Now, the bumps rock me to sleep. I also appreciated having both a bed and a couch in my room while in the top bunk, as the couch pulled out to serve as the lower bunk.

Don't get me wrong here — I made great strides to avoid boredom on this train. I packed plenty of activities and organized my time. But I didn't think I'd actually manage to keep myself entertained for all waking hours of the longest train ride in the country. And I'm pretty proud of myself for doing so.

I read and played video games while listening to podcasts. I looked out the window and took hundreds of photos. I journaled and worked on my laptop while listening to music, and I watched the comfort shows I downloaded on my phone. (I also packed a ukulele, which turned out to be a mistake I'll avoid in the future.)

And before I knew it, the journey was over.

I was hoping to run into some seasoned overnight rail riders aboard the train. I loved the idea of swapping travel stories and tips we'd learned along the way.

I talked to about a dozen passengers during my trip, and only one had been on overnight Amtrak trains before. So I didn't quite make the connections I expected on the California Zephyr, but talking to first-timers made me feel equally fulfilled.

I could relate to them by recalling my first overnight Amtrak trip five years ago. I gave them tips I didn't have back then, and I felt proud of myself for how far I've come as an Amtrak traveler by night.