Off the I-15

Shortly after I moved out to Barstow two years ago, two professors from college gave me advice on my transition. One said to not feel as if I owe Barstow, the paper or the people here anything. The other told me not to get frustrated with where I was.

I didn’t fully follow either.

I owe this place a lot. The Desert Dispatch was a great paper to start at. Here, I covered everything from a virtual baby shower to the president of the United States. I covered crime, the courts, the City Council, the school board, the 2008 election. The people here welcomed me. They became my sources, some better than others. They became people I saw at the bar, at the food store, at Chilis. They became my racing buddies, my Dodger game buddies, my Gossip Girl buddies. They became my friends.

But I also got frustrated here. The hours were long. The work was hard. The staffing at the paper was always low. Barstow, as charming as it is, is not Chicago, New York, Washington D.C. or the other cities I pictured myself living in at 25. And I know most of you love it, but I got sick of 300-plus days of sun a year. I missed the rain, the snow, the cold and even an occasional cloudy day.

Today is my last day at the Desert Dispatch. Early next week I will get back in my car and drive across the country again, this time to Michigan. I am not sure what awaits me there, but I felt it was time to pull roots and go.

I won’t forget Barstow. Thanks to the hard work of the remaining Desert Dispatch staff, I am going to keep up on you on www.desertdispatch.com. I also encourage all of you to follow me. Look for me on www.myspace.com and www.facebook.com (I won’t tell exactly how, but it’s pretty easy) or send me an e-mail to aaron.aupperlee@gmail.com.

Thanks Barstow. Miss u already.

Aaron Aupperlee | city editor

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