I was always the tallest girl in my class. My friends would often tease me with the suggestion that I should consider modeling – an idea that had captured my imagination for as long as I can remember. This is my biggest dream yet, but I’m only 20.
My name is Selam. I came into this world in the bustling city of Addis Ababa, where the air was thick with the aroma of coffee and the sound of vendors hawking their wares. But my time in that vibrant place was brief. When I was just a toddler, my mother passed away, leaving me with no one to care for me but my uncle.
My uncle and his family lived in Welo, a tranquil village on the other side of Ethiopia. There, I found a new home and a new family. My cousins and I tended to the animals and roamed the hillsides, surrounded by the natural splendor of the Ethiopian countryside. It was a simple life, but a happy one.
As I grew older, my uncle saw that I had the potential for more. When I was thirteen, he sent me away to Germany, where he believed I would have greater opportunities for the future. At first, I was sad to leave my family and the familiar sights and sounds of Ethiopia behind. But with time, I began to see the possibilities that lay ahead of me.
My journey in Germany was not without its challenges. I arrived in Frankfurt, where I stayed for just a month before moving to Altenburg in Thuringia. There, I lived in a residential group for children under 18. I was thrown into 7th grade straight away, without taking any prior language courses, which made it harder for me to finish high school on time. But at 17, I had my own apartment, and I was beginning to find my footing.
Now, I live in Hof, where I work the night shift at Amazon. It’s not an easy job, but I enjoy the work and the diverse group of people I get to interact with. And while I miss my family and the beauty of Ethiopia, I’m finding my own place in this new country. I have dreams of further education and pursuing different career paths. I want to work hard and explore all that this big world has to offer.
And who knows, maybe someday I’ll even get the chance to pursue my childhood dream of becoming a model.
Timeless Town 