"you are now free to move about the country..."

dear friendly passengers,

i hope you will join me in visiting (or in many cases, revisiting) the year that was--two thousand and nine. in order to do so, you will need a PASSPORT (if yours has expired, which it may have if you haven't renewed yours recently or if your most "updated" passport was issued before you were 16 years old, then please click here). without it, you will be lost. with it, you will gain insights and exposure to some of the most EXTROOORRRDDDINARY moments of Thomas Patrick Kerrigan's past twelve months. In the meantime, grab a window seat, pull your arm separator UP, and be thankful if someone you LOVE surprises you on your next flight out of Houston ;)

[1st Stop:] CLEVELAND, OH
       O-H-I-O...it's where I lived (cut the Hey There Deliah music) and began my year back in January. at that time, i was still pretty terrified of flying, so i decided to book an Amtrak ride from Springfield, MA (if my train wasn't running late, i would have missed it! i have decided to write a book someday about my domestic travel experiences...just wait for my Columbus greyhound story!) to Cleveland. unfortunately, Amtrak pulls through downtown Cleveland at some of the worst hours of the day (it usually departs @ 5:25am & arrives @ 3:30am). thankfully, i have good friends like John Mon (i still owe you) out in cleveland who woke up and picked me up at that very meaningful hour!
      Some other early '09 happenings in Cleveland included: my first 8-day silent retreat (i had attended a 3.5 day "silent" retreat during my JVC volunteer year, but it was nothing like this tremendous one through JCU); visited Gisella in Detroit over MLK weekend; witnessed President Barack Obama's inauguration; enrolled in 3 more graduate-level courses at JCU; continued my ministry as a resident minister in Murphy Hall; attended the winter retreat for the JVC communities; began my training as a WJCU radio personality.

"Cleveland is a brutal place to live during the winter. For those of you who have not experienced a Cleveland winter, you will probably find yourself not prepared when winter finally hits."
~ Winter Survival Guide (Case Wiki)

[2nd Stop:] COLUMBUS, OH
         Then, of course, there's February. The best month of the year, in my opinion! Which other month hosts the Superbowl (which i happened to miss this year), Ground hog day, St. Valentine's Day, the most birthdays (including my own) on either side of the Kerrigan/Cashman families, and, more recently, concludes with spring break? I think I rest my case. The jury is still out, however, on how I handled another interesting travel experience (see previous entry for story...it's worth the scroll....)

        Some additional highlights of that month included: my annual trip to Burlington, Vermont to visit my sister (Meghan) who is finishing up her college career this year (2010) at St. Michael's College (my other sister, Kaitlyn, also joined me and we attended the Magic Hat Mardi Gras parade in downtown Burlington--see pictures in margins); additional subbing opps @ St. Martin de Porres HS; beginning preparations for Lent.

[3rd Stop:] HATFIELD, MA 
       This was my most difficult stop all year. It was preceded by daily updates on the status of our great Aunt Pat. I was soon on a flight back to Providence, as she died on March 12, 2009. We are all still mourning her loss in our lives. She, like my paternal grandmother (Nanny K), was a living saint. She modeled humility, compassion, and faithfulness beautifully. She wanted to take care of everybody--regardless of her health--and eventually, God said it's someone else's turn to fill your shoes. We've all learned so much from Aunt Pat and I only hope the memories of her life and home will remain in our hearts forever.

[4th Stop:] TUSCON, AZ
        Meet Mr. & Mrs. Mendizabal and Alvaro (brother). I was blessed with this opportunity the week after finals were complete. Gisella and I booked our flights (she surprised me by booking her second flight out of Houston--where I would be making the last leg of my trip to meet her family) and spent a week or so, in the scorching dry heat of Arizona, attending her brother's graduation ceremonies and enjoying the company of her immediate & extended family. There will be some struggles linguistically (English-Spanish and vice versa); however, I've got one of the best translators helping me out! 123

(first transfer to): DURAN (ECUADOR)
          Upon my return from Tucson, I was back at JCU and preparing for another voyage. This time I would be leaving the US for the first time in eight years. I had been selected to travel with a sociology professor and eight other JCU undergrads to the little town of Duran just outside of Guayaquil, Ecuador. We linked up with a volunteer program in Duran known as Rostro de Cristo, and we took lodging in their guest house. For seven days, we met some wonderfully hospitable and spiritually rich Ecuadorians who made think, laugh and cry all at the same time. I am still processing this experience and will forever hold the men, women & children of Arbolito and Duran in my heart.

Feel free to check out the pictures I have posted some pictures from my Ecuador experience in the margins of my blog.

(final transfer to): BOSTON, MA
        As I watched the rest of my immersion group head back to Cleveland, I boarded a private jet to Boston where I would reunite with my family and celebrate a friend's wedding that next morning in Swampscott. I had become quite the frequent flyer over the past two weeks/years and was ready to begin my summer in Mass.

[5th Stop:] OHIO CITY (W. CLEVELAND)
       I quickly found myself back in Cleveland at the beginning of June. I had made a promise, at the beginning of my JVC year, with a group of junior students at St. Martin de Porres HS that I would attend their high school graduation. Well, that had been in 2007, and now it was June and the class of '09 was graduating. I wanted to keep that promise, because I knew how important this occassion would be for many of them. I realized at that wonderful ceremony how involved I had become in the greater Cleveland community.
       A quick transition took place that second week of June, and I found myself once again spending my summer (June-July) as a camp counselor for urban youth (Arrupe Summer Program--ASP) and a grateful tenant in none-other-than Adam Musser's rear-front apartment on w.38th and lorain. Aside from dismal Arrupe idols contests, uninvited skunks at my July 3rd Fourth of July bash, and locking myself out of Musser's apartment on the second to last day I was in town, this past summer was glorious. I was able to frequently attend St. Pat's 5:30pm daily Mass, walk to the West Side Market once again, and led a group of young Spartans in a special  tribute to the late Michael Jackson (Thriller dance). Thanks to Ms. Veronica, Mr. Chris, Jake, Mr. Justin, Ms. Melanie, Ms. Mary, Mr. Sinh, Ms. Trang, Ms. Ellen and her JV housemates, John Gill, Laura McGowan, everyone who lent me crazy headgear, Mr. & Mrs. Pestak (landlords), the friendly Ohio City pasta dude, the mysterious cheap egg lady, and Tom (my next door neighbor whose brother lives in Norton...go figure) for a memorable Cleveland summer.

[6th Stop:] DETROIT, MI
      "At least, we're NOT DETROIT!" If you haven't watched the Cleveland Tourism YouTube video by now, DON'T, but that statement is one of the more settling comments made by the video's producers. Anywho, as many of you who by know, my amazing girlfriend, Gisella, continued living in Detroit until August. She had stayed on with her JVC placement, Alternatives for Girls (which was a transitional shelter for young women who were homeless), but too many stressors at that agency made work unbearable. That reality, in addition to crime, the Lions, the Greyhound bus company, and generally deplorable structural conditions, made visiting Detroit painful. Nevertheless, Gisella lived with a beautifully hospitable and generous couple/family (the Frey's--Eileen & Bill) and alont with Sarah & Jennifer (colleagues of hers at AFG) were her saving graces. Detroit has a special place in Gisella's heart to which I have only had glimpses.
       I, of course, traveled to Detroit (mainly via Greyhound bus) and visited Gisella about monthly (I had been doing so since the previous spring/summer). I think the best way to share with you my own experience of Detroit is simply to stream of consciousness my encounters and share the details later...

Gaelic League, Old Tigers' stadium, New Tigers' stadium (Comerica), Detroit Beer Co., Xochimilco's (our favorite Mexican restaurant), GABE, the Novices, Christ the King Church plus their pastor, Easter, Uncle Pat (especially walking with us through the Red Sea), Henry Ford and other FREE library pass museums, Happy Cream, Greektown, ONSTAR (aka TomSTAR), the dark Pickle restaurant, Elias' donuts, Campus Martius, Belle Isle, little D, and of course, Karl the Bear ;)


[7th Stop:] CHESTNUT HILL, MA
        I think it is now safe to share that I never got into Boston College! I applied regular decision, but I never actually wanted to go there (my mom was more interested in their decision). Little did I know that almost 6 years later, Gisella would apply and gain admission into BC's Pastoral Ministry program. For the sake of an extra-lengthy entry, I will forgo sharing with you the details of our cross-country exodus out of Detroit (another chapter of my future book)! She just finished up her first semester of grad school and is pleased with her two positions (1st year Peer Minister & part-time babysitter) and her course work. I will forever be a PC Friar, but since ever since I joined JVC, those incredible Jesuits are starting to wear on me...

[8th Stop:] UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, OH  

         "You're listening to THE HEIGHTS on 88.7!" 
                                 ~ the intro to my live WJCU radio feeds every Tuesday from 1-3:30pm
          
          Yes, that's right...my Gmail address finally makes sense! I'm a DJ for our community radio station on campus and it's been a blast so far. So much so, that I'm considering a second career in radio broadcasting/programming. Aside from my weekly radio show (which can be accessed by going to www.wjcu.org and clicking on one of the three music icons in the upper right hand corner of our homepage), life on the east side of Cleveland has continued to be life-giving. I just finished my third semester of grad school (school counseling is a three year program @ JCU, for those of you keeping score at home) and I am excited to tackle three more courses this spring. I will begin a full year of internship in the fall of 2010 and will hopefully receive my master's degree in May 2011. I continue to serve as a Resident Minister in a first-year residence hall and have enjoyed the company of many of the upperclassmen who I've befriended, ever since I set foot on campus. I've concluded that being a grad student is a wonderful lifestyle, especially when you throw in my in-house position. Thanks to the Joes, G, Lauren Fraser, Mark, H.Paul, Chris Kerr, Carrie, Gail, Paula, John, Barb, and Murphy RA staffs for showing me the ropes and allowing me to mature and grow in the many ways that you have.

[9th Stop:] WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, OH
          Have you ever heard of a school without walls? It's called Randallwood Elementary, and that is where I served as a counseling intern for 5th-6th graders this past fall. Humility, patience and flexibility were just a few of the lessons I re-learned, as an 18th-grader @ RW. Soon-to-be Dr. Paylor and I had our share of classroom guidance lessons, peer mediation candidates as well as several character counts qualifiers. We hardly ever got on each others' nerves. It's comforting to know that I was born to be a school counselor!

[10th Stop:] FORT BENNING, GA

        "No mas, no more, we must stop this dirty war. Compañeras, compañeras. we cry out...No mas, NO MORE!" This was the rallying cry of students, parishioners, brothers & sisters in Christ gathered at the annual SOA (School of the Americas) protest in front of the gates of Ft. Benning and final Ignatian Family Teach-In in Columbus, GA this past November. I journeyed with a group of JCU students who continue to be a part of a larger group at Carroll entitled J.U.S.T.I.C.E. (Jesuit University Students Together In Concerned Empowerment). This weekend's events jerked on my heart strings as well as provided me with unintentional time to reflect upon the variable history of my political and moral activism.

Let us do what we can to SHUT DOWN THE SOA!

[11th Stop:] LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (BOSTON)

         Print out boarding pass (check)
         Look up flight # and status (check)
         Empty water bottle (check)
         Remove shoes and belt (check)
         Charge cell phone (check)
         Keep arm guard up/down (check)
         Accept complimentary beverage, snack & XM satellite radio (check)
         Call loved ones to inform them of safe landing (123 checks)

        Over the past 12 months, I have visited 13 domestic/international airports, rode every colored-rail line imaginable and fallen out of love with one of the most dismal commercial bus companies in America (named after a really fast "hound"). I've done my share of carpooling (I hope I've reimbursed everyone) and kept my bicycle inflated (for the most part).  For anyone who has seen the film Up in the Air (starring George Clooney), I think I deserve my own No.11 platinum concierge card, no?
        I hope each one of you has also had an eventful journey through 2009. It's fascinating to me to reminisce about what has been and become excited for what is to come. Whether you are 53, 26 or 9 years old and reading this blog, I hope you will remain buckled, because your journey has only just begun...

[Final '09- destination:] HOME

NIL AON TINTEAN MAR DO THINTEAN FEIN (translat. There is no place like home)