Travel Envy

"Where are you off to next?"
As a travel writer I hear that every day.
Depending on my mood I'll mention either the next state park near Mansfield or Upper Sandusky(referred to by natives as simply "Upper"), or skip right over the dull stuff to my upcoming snorkling excursion to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
I also try to gauge how much the person asking might covet my job, and how willing he or she might be to employ violence or treachery to get it.
Once, had I heard about a newspaper travel writer disappearing under mysterious circumstances, I would have assumed he'd simply gone off the rails in some exotic port.
Now I'd suspect the arts critic, or, more likely, the night cop beat reporter.
Night cops can put some strange plans in your head, and give you a pretty good working knowledge about how to carry them out.