The stars opened my eyes and then the Northern Lights became a gateway.

And when I see the Northern Lights, I enter this flow state.

And so I've kind of been chasing that awe, that feeling of just pure magic that I've never experienced during the daytime.

Not to say daytime's not amazing, but the night is just,

for me, it's next level.

Stephanie Vermillion is a travel journalist and author whose fascination with stargazing

led her to seek out even more adventures after the sun sets. She's written about chasing

the northern lights,

hiking by moonlight, and watching rare wildlife that only comes out at night. Her latest book,

100 Nights of a Lifetime, is filled with suggestions for nocturnal adventures for anyone

looking to experience nature from an entirely different perspective. I'm Shelby Stanger, and this is Wild Ideas Worth Living, an RIEI Co-Op Studios production

presented by Capital One and the REI Co-Op MasterCard.

Most people don't quit their day jobs to go stargazing and exploring in the dark.

But in 2018, Stephanie Vermilion traded in a cubicle for life as an adventure writer.

In many ways, Stephanie's story is similar to mine.

She spent years in public relations before making the leap to full-time freelance journalism.

It took a lot of learning, practicing, and rejection, but eventually it paid off.

These days, Stephanie contributes to publications like National Geographic, Fogue, Outside Magazine, and more.

Stephanie Vermilion, welcome to wild ideas worth living. and more.

Stephanie Vermillion, welcome to wild ideas worth living. I'm excited to talk about adventuring at night. It's my favorite topic. I'm so happy to be here. Thanks for having me.

So I love your story because you quit your job to become an adventure journalist, which

obviously is one of my favorite

...