At the Rockabilly Show (Flagstaff, Arizona)
April 30, 2002

The fantasy begins with reality. It is Saturday night in Flagstaff, the whole night stretched out before me. I'm wandering the downtown blocks alone, staring into the windows of clubs and trying to measure how I might feel on the... more

Here in Squattersville (Flagstaff, Arizona)
April 29, 2002

The coffee shop I sit in is called Macy's. An Old Austin feel, a feel-good feel, everyone in wrinkled clothes. That's cool, man. It's all cool. The college kids behind me are debating over who does the best Christopher Walken... more

Welcoming You to the 100th Entry (Las Vegas)
April 26, 2002

An introduction. Do you want to hear something funny? Something funny is that I actually worried about this entry, the 100th entry on Sarahhepola.com. I stalled on writing it, then threw together a jokey installment in which various sitcom stars... more

Getting My Camp On (Tales From the Southwest)
April 22, 2002

Part 5: A word about camping, and then we move on. My brother tells a story about the first time our family went camping. I was six and he was 10. We had driven to Galveston, Texas, although God knows... more

Oh, the Places You'll Go (Tales From the Southwest)
April 18, 2002

Part 4: A few generalizations about the tourist attractions of the Southwest. They are beautiful. The rocks are red, or pink, or orange, or a combination thereof. The rocks are striped in perfect layers. The rocks are marbled, like a... more

Dear Rough Guide... (Gallup, New Mexico)
April 15, 2002

Dear Rough Guide, On p. 82 of your "Southwest USA" guide, you write of Gallup, New Mexico, "cheap motels make it a handy overnight pitstop, but there's nothing to hold your interest." Hmm. Rough Guide, we like your chatty and... more

In the Land of Burning Incense and Kachina Dolls (Tales From the
April 14, 2002

Part 2: I Got It Does it sound like Aaron and I are dating? We're not. I should probably clear that up now. We're close friends who have long passed that window of time when we both secretly wonder if... more

How We Traveled Together (Tales From the Southwest)
April 12, 2002

Emails from my friend Aaron usually say things like this: "It will be a miracle if I don't quit my job today. Yrs, Aaron." "Chorus: I want to go home. Work sucks. Yrs, Aaron." "I don't know why I didn't... more

Bitten (West Davis Mountains)
April 07, 2002

The sign said "The Largest Live Rattlesnake Exhibit on the Planet," so of course I had to go. "How you?" asks the man at the entrance. We'll call him Clete. "What brings you to these parts?" Clete has a scruffy... more

West Texas Teardrops (San Angelo)
April 04, 2002

Spring is slow to hit Texas. Only a few patches of bluebonnets can be found on the highways that lead out of Dallas. It's cold. It's cold, and it's April. I drive southwest, toward San Angelo -- tractor country, land... more

Coming Soon to a Couch Near You
April 03, 2002

To be perfectly technical about things, I haven't left yet. I write this from my parents' house in Dallas, where I stopped to pick up my new and utterly baffling cell phone and to see if they might just buy... more

Drivin' & Cryin'
April 02, 2002

This is how I drive: barefoot. The windows are down. The right foot is on the gas/brake (I do not use Cruise Control) and the left is resting on the seat, underneath me Indian-style or hugged to my chest. All... more

Get to Know Me: 10 Fun Facts
April 01, 2002

I am 27 years old. Sometimes I forget that -- completely blank out -- and it takes me a minute, during which time I think, "Okay, I'm not 28 yet, and I've already been 26, so that means I'm ..."... more