I live on the same compound as the school where I teach; it is an 8-acre campus in the suburbs of Addis. The campus is surrounded by a stone wall with razor wire on top. On our campus, you can find wild Genet cats, Mongeese (or Mongooses..both are acceptable plurals), and a few tortoises roaming around. The neighborhood outside our walls is packed with people, mosques, churches, and a variety of small shops selling everything from fruit to fabric to used shoes. Both the beauty of our campus and the life outside the gates play a part in the outdoor space I call home.

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