Today had clam chowder in New England!

Sorry for not updating this in a while. Life have has been hectic. My week trip to Ecuador with Seattle U was amazing. It was great to see all of the friends that I had made last year and to meet new people. I went in with a lot of fears and anxiety, but they have been mostly put to rest. One evening in Duran, I was sitting outside with a few of the volunteers and they were just venting, complaining about everything. (I won't ge too specific) It put me at ease knowing that the volunteers were people and struggled through things like real people do. It can be easy to look up to them and all that they do and think that I could never amount to that. Also, seeing excitement on people's faces when they find out that i am coming back makes me feel very welcome and excited to come back
It has been very emotional to spend the last three weeks in Tacoma/Seattle, saying goodbye to everyone. Last week, I went to the Humane Society to get Allison a kitten. Her name is Nina and she is four months old. She is blonde and grey(her fur looks like a blonde cat got into a fireplace and covered with ash). She is supa cute and likes snuggling, exploring, and playing with empty boxes. I also got to go canoeing and hiking with Francisco, which was a great getaway for me. I said goodbye to almost everyone that I wanted to, but I will always wish that I had just a little more time.
Right now I am at Boston College for orientation. We are doing our orientation with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and there are lots of amazing people here. It is difficult to be present to everything here with my head still in Seattle. I have leave a place that is filled with with so much love and to step out into the unkown with people that I have never met.(except Shea!) I am out of time, but I will be back to write more soon.

First trip is tomorrow~~

This last week has been an interesting adventure. I took all of my finals, graduated from college, said goodbye to everyone in Seattle, and moved back to Tacoma. tomorrow I leave for Ecuador. I am leading Campus Ministry's week long trip to Ecuador with Rostro de Cristo. After this week in Ecuador I will be be back in Washington for three weeks, followed by two weeks in Boston for training, and then I move to Ecuador for a year!

Last night I said goodbye to Patrick and Katie and went back to my stale empty room. I remember looking up at the ceiling and having a sudden wave of emotion pour over me. I feel like it is just when I find myself within a place I have to leave it. I will miss this place. I will miss the community that I have found here.

I don't know quite what to expect going in to this next week. All I know is that I am in for one hell of a reality check. I don't know whether to be excited or scared, so I think that I'll take a little of both. :)


Also, I just got my mailing address for next year. If you would like to send me a letter send it to:

Kipp Gallagher o Megan Radek
Rostro de Cristo
Casilla 09-01-1024
Guayaquil, Ecuador


Thank you.

I love you all!

Two months till orientation

"It's a dangerous business, stepping out your front door. You never know where' ll you'll be swept off to" -Bilbo

I have three weeks left in this place called college and soon i will be moving to Ecuador for an entire year. I thought that it would be appropriate to start a blog to record my adventures. As it stands right now, I am excited and scared to death for the upcoming year. I feel like Jake Wild once captured how I feel about moving to Ecuador in a photograph. I am ready to leave this place that I have called hope for nearly 23 years; It is time to step out of my front door and be swept off into God only knows what.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

I love you all. :)

-Kipp

P.S. Thanks to Mr. Salad Bar for the name.