By Meki Shewangizaw

A week before graduation I had a panic attack when I came to the conclusion that the major I picked was not what I wanted. It wasn’t really a surprise. Throughout the four years, I knew in the back of my mind that I didn’t enjoy what I was studying. I tried to comfort myself by saying I would just figure it out along the way — a lazy mindset that I too often relied on.

By Meki Shewangizaw

I have a fear of getting in a car accident. Not a two-car collision, but a fear of getting hit by a car while walking. I don’t know where it came from, or when it manifested, but whenever I cross the street–there’s a short-lived sense of panic until I make it safely to the other side.

Now imagine me crossing the street in Addis Ababa.

In this city, crosswalks are few and the drivers who obey them are even fewer. Family and friends can sense my level of discomfort without me having to vocalize it. From people like Sami, a member of my EDF cohort (who often tells me to get on the other side of her so that she can be facing traffic), to my cousins who laugh while explaining that cars don’t stop for people here.