A Solo Prepare Journey Throughout Texas Could Be the Journey You Want

One late night time in a quiet newsroom, a fellow reporter confirmed me a prepare route that stretched from Louisiana to California with a cease in Houston. Amtrak’s storied Sunset Limited in some way felt like a secret, one I’d simply been let in on. Overcome with wanderlust, I mapped out my itinerary nearly instantly. But when life (and the COVID-19 pandemic) occurred, I tucked the journey right into a folder on my pc till the time was “right.”

In September 2025, days after the world witnessed an assassination, I packed my luggage and set out on my multistop prepare journey—alone. I’d be mendacity if I stated I wasn’t nervous: The nation appeared so divided, and I’d be touring by way of a few of the most distant elements of Texas as a Black lady, solo. I felt weak. Who knew what I may encounter in such politically charged occasions?

I reasoned that I’d maintain my wits about me and keep away from speaking about politics. What I discovered alongside the way in which, although, was refreshing. Spotty cell service and Wi-Fi, paired with communal eating, pressured me to place my telephone down, lose myself within the breathtaking views, and join with the world and the individuals proper in entrance of me. All alongside the way in which, I’d speak with strangers about what mattered most: our households, youngsters, and work, the place we’d been and the place we had been going. We didn’t dwell on variations. Instead, our conversations leaned towards what we shared—our curiosities and the various issues we didn’t know.

Off the prepare, adventuring west on my own opened me as much as much more type strangers and probability encounters. I picked up small-town gossip from residents and spoke to proficient artists, chatty Uber drivers, and retirees on straightforward getaways. I hiked the Franklin Mountains with a mom who was simply as nervous as I used to be to courageous the path together with her two youngsters. A person visiting from Korea gave me a pleasant push down a dune in White Sands National Park. I noticed Saturn by way of a telescope with an lawyer within the Davis Mountains, and even had a random celeb sighting (DJ Steve Aoki hopped in a automobile in entrance of me in El Paso).

This journey turned out to be greater than an escape. It supplied a much-needed reminder: While the hate we see on our screens could be very actual, it’s the exception moderately than the rule. My journey strengthened that there’s much more good on the earth, extra similarities than variations, and many individuals able to assist (or a pleasant push).

The similar kindness, curiosity, and shared humanity I discovered on the rails additionally exists in our neighborhoods—if we decelerate lengthy sufficient to see it. For this concern, Houstonia explores the town’s suburbs, outskirts, and totally different areas which might be constructing neighborhood. We embrace our quirks, spotlight our generosity, and rejoice the artwork, eating places, and people that proceed to outline and join our metropolis.