Less than a year ago, I read the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed. It chronicled her journey of hiking the most dangerous mountain range in America – by herself. After I finished, I was dying to do something similar. Nathan laughed at me a little because he knew I hated hiking, but I was determined. I couldn’t figure out what I could do (because truly, hiking for a month by yourself is more dangerous than I’m willing to risk). When I saw an article detailing a man’s Amtrak adventure across the country, I was hooked.

The day I left, I was filled with nervous anticipation. Equal parts fear, excitement, and anxiety gripped me as I walked onto the first train. I made it to Washington, DC, without incident, though, and with 2 hours to kill I immediately started the 1.5 mile walk to the White House.