We spent 92 hours in an Amtrak roomette. Despite our many struggles and the $1,765 price tag, we'd do it again.

A roomette is a compact cabin for two that transforms from daytime seating into bunk beds at night. It was perfect for our needs, as it gave us privacy and a place to sleep.

Amtrak sleeper cars have personal attendants who help with turndown service, bring meals, and answer general questions, too.

Roomettes have a big viewing window, lights, temperature controls, and a closet so small Amtrak barely managed to write "Closet" on it.

Inside the closet we found two washcloths and enough space to squeeze in our jackets. There was a small area beneath it that fit our shoes and a small bag.

During the day, we slid our backpacks and travel bags under the seats. At night, when those seats folded down into a bed, our bags ended up wedged between the bed and the door.

The Sunset Limited left Los Angeles at 10 p.m., so when we boarded, the roomette was already transformed into sleeping quarters.

Next, it was time to find a bathroom and get ready for bed.

Amtrak offers full bedroom upgrades which come with a private bathroom and shower, but we couldn't justify paying several hundred dollars more for one.

Instead, roomette passengers share a shower room and public bathrooms — in our car, I counted one upstairs and three downstairs. At least one was always available when we needed it.

The bathrooms were just fine, though the toilet's loud, dramatic sucking sound during each flush was a bit jarring, and it was tricky to use the small sink basin without getting puddles on the floor.

My girlfriend also found out the hard way when somebody almost walked in on her that she had to pull the bathroom door shut and muscle the lock to the right, like she was sealing an airlock, or the "occupied" light wouldn't turn on.

There's limited counter space in these bathrooms, so I suggest bringing a personal toiletry bag with a loop that you can hang it on the door hook. You'll thank me.

The shower room, located next to the lower-level bathrooms, had a fold-down changing table, small seat area, counter space, and a handheld shower head that swayed with the train. I kept it aimed away from the shower door to avoid enacting Noah's flood.

Water pressure? Not great, but adequate. Water temperature? Surprisingly excellent.

Amtrak provided us with towels and a wrapped bar of soap, but no shampoo or conditioner. You'll probably want to pack your own.

One of the best perks of a sleeper car is that all meals are included: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.

We brought a bag of snacks but hardly touched them because the meals were filling and quite tasty.

I tried the three-egg omelet, chicken sausage, and French toast for breakfast, Beyond Meat burger for lunch, and the chicken and salmon for dinner. They were all yummy.

My girlfriend enjoyed the steak and the burger, and we both loved the desserts … maybe a little too much! The cheesecake and brownies served with each dinner were too delicious to pass up.

We ate breakfast in the dining car with strangers, and had lunch and dinner delivered to our roomette at no extra cost.

Eating at our roomette's small fold-down table was convenient, though its cupholders could use some improvement. They're not very deep, so my drinks almost went flying whenever the train jerked.

Nothing prepared us for the true sounds and motions of the train. At slow speeds, the ride is relatively smooth.

During the day, I thought my butt might fall asleep after sitting for so long, but we brought a couple fleece blankets and sat on our pillows to cushion the ride. I wore sweats or pajamas and kicked off my shoes while in the roomette, because relaxation is key to a long journey.

When the train is going fast, though, we felt some jostling. As it reached top speeds, being a passenger felt like a full-body contact sport. Think: roller coaster meets endless earthquake.

Beware of sudden sways that might throw your head into the viewing window, tight hallways that require timing and balance to navigate, and the ever-present symphony of rattles.

At top speed, the upper bunk, according to my girlfriend, felt like sleeping on a slightly padded board stuck inside a washing machine. The bottom bunk has the same thin mattress but it was cushioned by the folded down seats and best for taller passengers like me.

After we left Los Angeles Union Station, the train transformed into a noise machine: Train horns, rattles, and sounds that might haunt my dreams the rest of my life.

Light sleepers may want to bring industrial-grade earplugs, sleep aids, or noise-canceling headphones. Seriously, the ride felt so extreme at times that I could only laugh, because what else can you do?

Anytime the train stopped, I took advantage of that silence to sleep or get out and stretch.

The train can get a little stuffy and nothing beats the fresh air. During longer stops, we took short walks and gazed at cities we've never visited, like Houston.

Before this trip, I wondered how we were going to pass the many hours aboard the train. We brought a tablet to watch videos, but I found myself drawn to the spectacular scenery.

I would just stare and take pictures of the vast desert, the mountains, forests, and farms growing cotton or sugarcane.

We took in small historic towns, so different from the huge city of Los Angeles, which we call home.

I appreciated the winding rivers, bridges, lakes, and amazing bayous of Louisiana, not to mention, the endless sky with billowing clouds and breathtaking sunsets.

You cannot see America like this from a plane. Little kids wave at the train. You wave back. For a moment, everything feels simple and connected.

When it comes to trains, I learned to expect the unexpected. Our eastbound train arrived 30 minutes early, but our westbound train arrived two hours late.

However, after traveling almost 4,000 miles and over 92 hours on the train, we'd do it again.

Cross-country train travel in a roomette was about twice the cost of flying but was more than worth it. You can't put a price on quality time spent with someone you love.

After all, my girlfriend and I managed to get some sleep, ate well, laughed a lot, and saw the country in a way few people ever do.

America is beautiful, complicated, and enormous. Most of the nation is full of ordinary, good people waving from their yards as you pass through.

Yes, most long-distance Amtrak trains are old. Yes, the beds feel thin enough to qualify as yoga mats. Yes, the ride is loud.

But we survived, and learned that if you prepare properly, bring a sense of humor, and remember it's about the journey, not the speed, you too will want to do it all again.