I'm a New Yorker who went to Seattle for the first time. Here are 9 things that surprised me.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author, wearing a camera around her neck, stands smiling on a Seattle rooftop with a view of the city behind her.
Business Insider's travel reporter took her first trip to Seattle, and it was full of surprises.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spent $2,200 for a private bedroom on a 53-hour Amtrak ride. Here are 7 reasons I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of a train parked outside with snow on the ground and the author sitting in an Amtrak bedroom with a window behind her
A Business Insider reporter took Amtrak's California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville, California.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spent a night at a buzzy Hilton in Chicago. My $240 room was way more luxurious than I expected.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author sitting in a robe on a couch in her room at the Wit hotel with floor-to-ceiling windows in the background
The author enjoys her room at theWit hotel in downtown Chicago.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author sits in an Amtrak bedroom with a mirror on the left back wall and a window on the right
A Business Insider reporter spent 53 hours on Amtrak's California Zephyr train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spent 48 hours in Chicago for the first time and left with 4 regrets

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A view of Millennium Park in Chicago in the winter
A Business Insider reporter has some regrets about her first trip to Chicago.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I took my first cruise and made 10 mistakes that spoiled my voyage

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author wearing pants and a sweater on the top deck of a cruise ship
Business Insider's reporter took her first cruise on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I visited friends in a small town in Maine and found a hidden gem I'd travel to again and again

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Two images. Left: The author stands in front of an ocean shore. Right: An aerial view of Belfast with fall trees behind buildings and boats on the shore behind the bay
The author visited Belfast, Maine, and thinks it's a hidden gem destination.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider, halbergman/Getty Images

I booked a bedroom and a roomette on the same overnight Amtrak train. The bedroom is worth the splurge for longer rides.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of a train seat with pillows on them inside an Amtrak roomette accommodation and the author standing smiling in the Amtrak bedroom with a bunk bed in the background
The author stayed in a roomette and a bedroom on the California Zephyr, an overnight Amtrak train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I packed for a 7-day trip to Canada with just a backpack. Here are 6 items I'm glad I brought and 4 I wish I had.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of an aerial view of the authors packing items on a white sheet and the author wearing her backpack while taking a selfie in the mirror.
A Business Insider reporter took a weeklong train trip with just a backpack for the first time and learned a few things about packing light.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I toured a Chicago rental to see how it compared to my $2,200-a-month NYC apartment. It was more than twice the size for the same price.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
A composite image of a marble modern bathroom and the exterior of a rectangular, modern condo building with snow in the front yard
Business Insider's reporter toured a Chicago rental.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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