Once I went to Ethiopia for vacation and I will always remember my great-grandma's barn. My great-grandma lives in Countryside, far from the city. When I first got there, everything was new and strange to me. But I knew my great-grandma. I call her Eteko. I don't know why I call her Eteko and I'm the only one in my family who calls her that.

When I arrived she showed me her house, which is a little different. When I got in the house, the smell of cinnamon welcomed me. After I took a nap Eteko and her housekeeper Brane had already prepared our lunch. The table was big and dressed with a beautiful handmade tablecloth that matched the wooden floor. I looked around the living room. There was a big, beautifully- patterned sofa and a TV. Next to the TV, there was a table that held a candle, a family picture and a flower in a vase.

After a minute, Brane put a plate in front of me. Then she placed something that looked like tortilla. And she put a chicken stew in the middle of the tortilla (it's called Injera) to dip it with sour cheese. It was spicy, but it was the most delicious food I've ever tasted. After I finished eating, Eteko poured warm milk in my glass and said, 'I just milked the cow, and it's very good so give it a try.' I sipped a little and it was nasty. It doesn't taste anything like the milk we used to buy from King Soopers. So she made me a drink made out of honey, water and sugar. She told me it's called Tej. It was so yummy.

When Eteko got up to go to church, Brane took me to see the barn. We walked small sidewalks that lead us to this really green field. Not far away stood a big red barn that had a fence around it. She opened the fence door and showed me around. 'It's made out of mud,' She said. It was impressive how they built the barn from mud. Then she opened the barn door and let me go inside. When I got in, the smell of the room almost made me throw up; it was disgusting. So I decided to go outside. After a while Brane let the cows out so they could play in the field, and she told me I could play with them.

I saw the smallest cow in the middle and I wanted to play with her, but I was scared. Then Brane took me to her and let me pet her. She told me her name was Tequare. Later, after Brane and I took the cows to their barn, she showed me around the neighborhood; it was different than I was used to, because some neighbors grow vegetables, some grow corn or wheat, some have a big barn and they sell animals and some of them have groceries in the front of their house. Also one of the neighbors sells homemade alcohol drink for the rest. So everybody doesn't go to an office to work, they just make their own business in their house.

After we got back home, Eteko was already there and she told me we were going to a field. She carried a blanket, corn and some wood.

We walked and talked for a long time and we stopped in a field that was bigger than the other one I saw. A river cut the field in half. We paused when the sun was setting, so the water was golden and everything was just quiet and peaceful. The smell of the air was refreshing and we could hear the birds singing. Eteko put the blanket on the grass so we could all sit. But instead I went down to the river and took off my shoes. I tried to stand still in the water but it was cold and the rock was slippery. So I just headed back to Eteko. By then Eteko and Brane already had started the campfire.

We sat around the fire singing and I was warming my feet by the flame. Then Brane took out a corn and told me to drop it in the fire; I told them that in America, we toast a spongy candy called marshmallow. After a while Brane took out the corn and gave it to me to eat. It looked like it was burned but when I tasted it, it was crunchy and sweet. Later Brane and I started singing and dancing around the fire. Even though Eteko didn't have the energy to dance, I could tell by the smile on her face that she was enjoying it all. When the sun went completely down and when the day was over, I thought how much fun it could be to live like this every day for the rest of my life.

I'm thankful to have Eteko for a great-grandmother. She is the nicest person I know and I hope God will give her more years, so she can see my children too.