I love reporting and writing stories but don't do it very often these days; running this newspaper is more than a full-time job. Whenever I do get out, though, I talk to people, learn things and almost always return with a long list of potential story ideas to pursue. Although they're hard to swing, these forays always make me happy. That's why our special publications manager, Carolyn Fox, suggested that I take a plum assignment for the July edition of Staytripper: exploring the Northeast Kingdom area around Lake Willoughby and writing about it. Better yet, my research would involve staying overnight. It was the closest I got over the summer to a real vacation.