I spent 60 hours on overnight Amtrak trains for the first time. Here are 9 things I wish I had known before I took the long-haul journeys.

This is not an exaggeration. I found both trips were as bumpy as a flight while the seat belt sign is on from start to finish. Had I known this before my trip, I might've packed some medicine to prevent motion sickness.

Read more: I took a 30-hour train from New York to Miami, and the motion sickness and terrible sleep were too much for me

After sleeping on both the top and bottom bunks, I found that it's easier to sleep on the bottom bunk because it feels a little less shaky.

Read more: I spent $1,000 for a 45-square-foot bedroom with its own bathroom on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. Take a look inside.

The beds on my Amtrak trains were firm and slightly cushy on top, just the way I like a bed to be. But when I was drifting off to sleep each night, I thought of my fluffy, dense, soft pillows at home.

I am 5-foot-3 and of average build, and I felt cramped in the roomette's 25-square-feet of space. If I were taller or larger, I imagine I would feel even more cramped. This makes the upgrade to a larger bedroom worth it, in my opinion.

Read more: I paid $500 extra to upgrade my room on a 30-hour Amtrak ride, and I thought the additional 20 square feet was worth every penny

I had planned to spend several hours of each journey working on my laptop. But the train's internet connection wasn't consistently reliable during my rides, so I had to adapt my workflow.

With spotty internet and cell service on my phone, too, I wished I'd downloaded more movies and shows from streaming apps to keep myself occupied.

It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that 30 hours felt twice as long as it usually does in my regular, daily life. I was glad that I at least packed other things to keep me occupied, like my Nintendo Switch and music.

Read more: I spent 30 hours on an Amtrak from NYC to Miami. Here are 11 ways I made the long ride more bearable.

I brought a big water bottle to stay hydrated on my long journey, but I would have packed a few smaller ones had I known of the cup holder sizes.

Read more: I spent 60 hours on Amtrak trains with a carry-on bag and a backpack. Here are 7 things I regret not packing and 9 items I'm glad I brought.

As someone who deals with travel anxiety, I found the length of the trip to be overwhelming. It's tough for me to relax when I am in-between destinations, and, for some reason, I struggled to view the train as a destination in itself.

But if you can think of the train ride as part of your journey, I think you'll find it much more enjoyable.

Read more: I took a 30-hour train from New York to Miami, and the motion sickness and terrible sleep were too much for me