My parents, Alex Getahoun and Zaid Amanuel were both born in the Horn of Africa, specifically in Ethiopia. At the age of 11, my father immigrated to Queens, New York, along with his six older siblings, mother, and grandmother, and lived there for the remainder of his teenage years and most of his adult life. My mother, on the other hand, had moved from the home of her youth to the Big Apple to pursue better educational opportunities, where she attended Stony Brook University. Once they had fallen in love and gotten married, they decided to settle down in the calm and woodsy state of Lawrenceville, Georgia, to start a family of their own. When I was younger, my family consisted solely of my little brother, Samuel, my mother, my father, and me. However, as time went on, our little party of four had grown significantly. From a young age, I had seen family walk in and out of our doors more times than my brain would let me remember. At first, it was my uncle's family who came to live with us for a few months. Then, my mother’s family came to stay, and afterward, my father’s father as well. Soon after, my grandmother on my father’s side continued to visit us for months at a time, and then there was, of course, the constant rotation of hiring a caretaker for my grandpa. It was obvious that our house was a home, not only to us but to anybody who needed it, and in 2022, we realized that we needed a house that would allow us to do that with ease. It seemed far and out of reach, but after months of searching, we had finally found Edinburgh. 

I, Yeabundej Getahoun, am an 18-year-old aspiring author whose goal in life is to grow and nurture my creativity and continue to enhance my writing abilities. I have recently finished writing the script for my first short film, am currently writing my debut novel, and am now a new resident writer for Edinburgh’s Stroll Magazine! My little brother, Samuel, is a fourteen-year-old sophomore at North Gwinnett High School, and he spends most of his free time playing basketball in our driveway or with other neighborhood kids, building new worlds in Minecraft, or scoring goals in FC25 - sometimes in real life, too! My parents are two of the busiest and hardest-working people I have ever known, and yet they never fail to set an example of prioritizing everything that you love. You will always find my mother walking our two dogs, finding new hobbies that exercise both body and soul and inviting friends and family to enjoy fresh Ethiopian coffee and cuisine. My father is a free spirit who embodies a beautiful balance between work and fun, combining a concrete focus with childlike wonder. 

Easing into the neighborhood 

My family and I started our chapter here in Edinburgh in July 2023, where we soon found that community wasn’t just an option but a promise. The ease of finding new connections in this neighborhood was beyond staggering. Within the first month of the move, I had met my best friend, Leah Gibson, another resident of Edinburgh. We clicked instantaneously, and it took us almost no time at all to start spending the rest of our days together, carpooling to and from school and introducing each other's families. In fact, this past spring break, our families took our first joint family trip to Rosemary Beach, Florida. Though I, of course, believe our friendship was always meant to be, there is no doubt that being in such a spaced-out and woodsy town, it was a definite blessing to have my closest friend a short distance away.

My father, Alex Getahoun, is the founder of Speed Laboratory, a pharmaceutical company that provides a wide range of testing services for various products, and Bubble Sip LLC, a beverage company that not only values taste but also offers premium-quality hydration. In 2018, Bubble Sip LLC was officially registered. After years of fine-tuning, pilot development, and systematic testing, in 2022, they finally launched their products- Xeni Alkaline Water, Blue Nile Purified Water, and Multi-fusion (a multivitamin energy drink that supports both hydration and wellness). Alex proudly released their newest water, "America the Beautiful," which will be out in August 2025. During their research, Bubble Sip developed their own patent carbonation process, which doesn’t involve pumping CO2 but instead uses natural methods to preserve and ensure health. Alex, being a scientist, believed in staying true to a human's natural biology and, therefore, wanted to create a method that would allow water to support the body’s natural pH balance. One of their most innovative breakthroughs is their patent-protected conical bottles, which are engineered to enhance bottle-to-mouth delivery and built to push air back while directing liquid cleanly down the esophagus, ensuring that electrolytes, purified water, or energy components are absorbed efficiently without bloating or disruption. Everything about their products is unique, from their bottle design to their clean and science-backed ingredients that provide nutrients and energy with every sip. Time and time again, Bubble Sip has consistently demonstrated that this isn’t just about selling water but about redefining hydration and functional beverages for an informed generation.

I don’t know how our journey in Edinburgh will continue, or how the future may look with all of us pursuing our passions and interests- my father building his business to new heights, my mother continuously growing and finding her niche in spirit, body, and wellness, my little brother navigating his way through the angst of teenage years, and the steady growth of my writing career. But I do know that it’s all going to be okay because not only do we have the support of this beautiful community, but also each other. And although no family is perfect, and we have never been the exception, we plan to thrive together towards a more connected and grounded future, to carry each other when times get tough, and to continue making our new house in Edinburgh a home.