Our guest's journey started with a late-night Google search that led to a 52-hour Amtrak ride…and sparked a passion that’s taken her across 20+ train routes in the U.S. and around the world, from Alaska and George to Uzbekistan and India. Through her vibrant videos and slow travel storytelling, she’s grown a community of over 350K people, exploring destinations one meal, one museum, and one meaningful connection at a time.

I’m joined by Sojourner White: the “Train Travel Queen” and award-winning travel vlogger and writer behind Sojournies. We explore train travel as a powerful way to experience the United States, alongside Sojourner’s perspective on navigating Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as a Black woman.

Sojourner shares what it’s like to move through the country by rail and how slowing down changes the way you see people, places, and the journey itself. We also unpack her experience being Black in Milwaukee, what it reveals about visibility, segregation, culture, and community, and how those realities shape the way she moves through the city.

This conversation highlights how both transit and destination shape the Black travel experience, and how travel can become a tool for reflection, storytelling, and deeper cultural understanding.

If you’re curious about traveling the United States without a car, interested in train travel, or want a more nuanced perspective of traveling while Black in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this episode is for you.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL LEARN

📌 What it’s like to travel across the United States by train as a Black woman

📌 How train travel creates a slower, more intentional connection to place

📌 What Sojourner’s experience reveals about being Black in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

📌 How safety, visibility, and belonging show up in both transit and destination

📌 Why and how train travel can transform how you visit all 50 states

📌 What are her top Amtrak travel destinations & Amtrak routes, including the California Zephyr

📌 Recommendations for Black-owned businesses in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, so you can shop Black-owned and support Black-owned businesses and shop local

CONNECT WITH SOJOURNER WHITE

Website → https://sojournies.com/

Instagram → https://instagram.com/thesojournies

Youtube → https://youtube.com/@Sojournies

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/sojournerwhite/

TikTok → https://tiktok.com/@sojournies

Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/Sojournies

CONNECT WITH DR. FRANNY

Website → https://frannythetraveler.com/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/franny_the_traveler/

YouTube → ‪@frannythetraveler

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/princess-francois

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