In April 2021, we moved into a new home in our small town! There were many reasons for the move, and while I was sad to say farewell to our previous house, this new one had SO many benefits. Like a beautiful front yard & front porch! Growing up in Florida, I am used to huge backyards with playsets and swimming pools. But this little green space in our front yard is simply perfect. We love the neighborhood, the neighbors and the location.
Read MoreAs you can see in the front yard, there are many potted plants. Most homes here have potted plants on their cement terraces. Most of the plants have something to offer, though I haven’t learned them all yet. There are aloe vera, lemon grass, cabe (hot peppers), strawberries (no fruit yet), ginger, and more. I bought a few plants, pots, and soil before we left for the summer, and my helper grew the collection while we were gone. Most locals get creative with their ‘pots’, using plastic bottles, empty oil bags, just whatever they have.
Read MoreWhile we have lived in this space for about five years now, we first fell in love with the fact that it was very close to town, school, and trails, while still having an amazing view of the mountains surrounding us. It has an apple tree, cherry tree, and peach tree that bless us throughout the year.
When we originally moved in, there was not a huge apartment building being constructed that loomed over us. We have gotten used to that, and taken the opportunity to get creative with the space we have, realizing that it is a gem in a booming ‘city’ trying to grow.
Read MoreWhen the lockdown kept him from his everyday work … My husband turned our patio into a beautiful aquaponics garden! Most homes in the city are flats, with different families on every floor. We moved almost two years ago from a ground floor flat and were SO excited to have a first floor with a balcony that we could make our own (that and to be able to get some sunshine into our home!). Right outside our door we have a big fish tank, herbs and vegetables, grapevines and bunches of other plants. Our neighbors all come by to see what we’re up to (us weird foreigners putting fish tanks on our balconies) and sometimes sit for tea in the shade of the grapevines. It’s become one of our favorite places to have our tea and our meals.
Read MoreOur favorite thing about our flat is our balcony. It is unusual to have a balcony in apartments in our city. We use it for everything—from bbq-ing, to laundry drying, and even as a “pop-up” swimming pool for our son during lockdown.
The worst thing about our flat is the noise. Our flat faces the main street; everyday we can hear the traffic. Also we hear random gun noise that is used to scare the pigeons away. Also, during big festival seasons, it’s so loud, and you can hear the parades and all the firecrackers.
Read MoreWe live in a beautiful place. Our home is nestled in the side of the Rift Valley, which means that we are greeted with beautiful views each time we walk out of our home and around our community. I often stop mid-walk and just stare at the views of the hills and valleys...it just doesn’t get old.
Read MoreIn our tan and grey concrete city, yards and grass are nearly nonexistent. Since most people live in apartment buildings, balconies are a family's only hope of an outdoor haven, and we are lucky enough to claim a large one as our own. Apartments with outdoor space are hard to find because, if they don’t already belong to the owner or their family, they are usually snatched up by a current tenant of the building as soon as they become available.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreThis is a little different “walk” than we’ve had on other days of our global walk outside, because we don’t actually live here...yet. We’ve owned this property for four years and have been developing it slowly, and we hope to start building our home in the next few months and finally move onto the property in 2022! I’m excited to share this space with you.
Read MoreMy family live in an apartment on the 15th floor of building in downtown Izmir. Our view is amazing, but comes with a price tag of “no balcony.”
There is, however, a shared terrace for the residents to use. We’ve spent time there reading and playing in the late afternoon when the city begins to cool off, but ironically, it has been closed off for the last few weeks because a café is being added. This is picture looking down at the terrace from our living room window
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