A viral TikTok has offered a glimpse into what it’s like traveling to rural areas for work, including the best—and often only—places to eat a meal.
TikToker Nicholas Johnson (@nicholasjohnson966) shared the view from his Hampton Inn & Suites hotel window in Richmond, Indiana, located on the border with Ohio. His room overlooked a grassy ditch and parking lot, with an industrial plant in the distance.
“Going to cracker barrel tonight,” Johnson confirmed his dinner plans in his video’s caption. Since first being posted on Feb. 8, his TikTok has been viewed 2.3 million times as of Monday.
It was a comforting panorama for other corporate travelers, who revealed that the view was similar across much of the rural U.S.
“My old job would regularly send me to Omaha Nebraska and Gaylord Michigan specifically and this view reminds me of both of them,” user @dweeboftheyear recalled.
“Your friends always think it’s so glamorous and ask for pics,” another viewer joked. “And you’re like, ‘Well it’s Wisconsin do you want a pic of a cow.’”
A lack of places to eat in rural areas didn’t seem to be a problem for travelers.
“I frequent Kansas and Illinois for my work and this is literally my view on every trip… and then we have dinner at the local steakhouse/bar/grill,” one shared.
“I got sent to Malvern, PA and we had a team dinner at Olive Garden,” @amandadamman remembered fondly.
@nicholasjohnson966 Going to cracker barrel tonight
♬ original sound – Luke | thisisme.inanutshell
Some viewers pondered how exciting a trip to rural America could be, but the pay benefits and chance to travel to new places far outweigh any potential boredom, according to others.
“The upside of being willing to travel is the extra pay, sometimes significant,” a construction management employee shared. “So yeah, I put up with the boring interstate hotels too—it pays off when I get home.”
“Me working for an Ag and Construction equipment company and getting an all expenses paid trip to Scottsbluff Nebraska,” user @craugutt wrote.
And many travelers cited hotels’ continental breakfasts as reason enough to travel for work.
“Nothing like a soak in an indoor pool, 6PM coffee and a pre-made pre-packed continental breakfast,” @mothballsoup77 reminisced.
The Daily Dot reached out to Johnson via Instagram direct message.
