In 2022, I returned to the place where I spent the first six years of my life, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. My last visit had been in 2014, nearly a decade earlier. Because I left so young, my memories of home are scattered, yet each time I return, Addis feels both transformed and unchanged.

The city has stretched upward with new skyscrapers and expanded roads that echo Western cities, yet places like Merkato still hold the spirit of the Addis I grew up in.

Every morning, I rode in the front seat of my uncle’s van as he guided me through the city. My family often asked, “What are you taking a picture of?”, confused by my fascination with the simplest details. I hoped that when my photos were finally developed, they would understand the Addis I was seeing: a city full of color, character, and a quiet familiarity.