I spent 60 hours traveling on Amtrak trains from New York to Texas. Here are 10 things that surprised me most.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Composite of man smiling on train next to image of Amtrak train
I rode two Amtrak trains on a long-haul journey from New York to Texas.

Michael Rosenthal

I thrived in San Francisco, but I'm happier living in the California countryside. It feels like a great place to age.

Tech Insider : Business
Snow capped mountains in the Temecula Valley
As much as I enjoyed living in San Francisco, I have found my perfect home in the California countryside.

Scott Padgett/Getty Images

I'm a frequent Amtrak passenger and have traveled in business class and coach. The best seat isn't where you'd expect.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Style
People sitting in booth-style seats on an Amtrak train.
When available, I always sit in the café car on Amtrak trains.

Andrea McHugh

For our third date, we spent 12 hours hiking. It was way better than dinner, and we're still together 2 years later.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Man and woman in desert area on hike
Our third date involved a wild, 12-hour hike. It helped us connect on a deeper level and test our compatibility.

Eibhlis Gale-Coleman

We left New York City for the Connecticut suburbs. Our family gained way more than square footage, but it cost us a lot.

Tech Insider : Business
Aerial view of houses in fall in New England
Although moving from New York City to Connecticut's suburbs has come with drawbacks, it's also brought several benefits.

Michael Warren/Getty Images

Every song that's won record of the year at the Grammys

Tech Insider : Business, Crypto
Kendrick Lamar accepts the Record of The Year award for
Kendrick Lamar accepts the award for record of the year for "luther" onstage during the 2026 Grammys.

Kevin Mazur/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

We swore by living in big cities but chose a suburb 17 years ago. Despite drawbacks, the decision has really paid off.

Tech Insider : Business
Three girls smiling with man and woman in front of trees
Although we were hesitant about moving to the suburbs all those years ago, it ended up being a great decision for our family.

Lynnette Lyons

My husband and I started doing adult paint-by-numbers to get off our phones. The hobby's benefited us more than we expected.

Tech Insider : Business
Woman and man smiling in front of bookshelves
My husband and I have been working on paint-by-numbers together to stay off of our phones.

Tawnya Gibson

I've traveled all over North America, but there's just one place I'd move to in a heartbeat

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Style
Colorful alley in Old Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Montreal is a place I often dream about.

benedek/Getty Images

I tried 3 store-bought rotisserie chickens, and found Costco's famous bird couldn't compare to the best one

Tech Insider : Business
Selfie of the writer Chelsea Davis holding a black container with a whole rotisserie chicken on it
I compared rotisserie chickens from Whole Foods, Costco, and Safeway.

Chelsea Davis

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