Rachel Simon reminds readers that although this is a true story, she has changed the names of all characters other than herself and her sister Beth. She has also changed some of the geographic specifics to protect Beth’s privacy. She notes that after she wrote her text, the language used to describe people with an intellectual disability changed. Although the book refers to “mental retardation” instead of the more modern “intellectual disability,” Simon kept the original language to preserve the historical accuracy of her text. She explains that part of her journey was coming to terms with that specific language and feels it is integral to the work. 

“The Journey” Summary

Rachel is awoken at six o’clock by her sister Beth. They are both in their thirties, born just 11 months apart. Beth is intellectually disabled and has been living independently for six years in Pennsylvania. She has recently been laid off from her restaurant job and is living off of government assistance. Beth realized she was lonely in her apartment with no job, so she began to get up each day and ride the city buses—not to get anywhere, but just for the pleasure of riding: “she staked out friendships all over the city, weaving her own traveling community” (4).