Future Z. was born in a small village called Mberengwa that sits at the bottom of granite mountains in Zimbabwe. She was adopted at age four by her mother, who saw where she was living and decided to move her to the city. She explained, “That was my first real lucky break in life.”
She and her mother lived in Zimbabwe until she was 13. Due to political instability and safety concerns, her family left on political asylum and came to the United States, settling in the Bay Area, where they had old family friends to welcome them. Future attended high school in Berkeley. Arriving in California during her first semester of high school was a big culture shock, particularly with language: She spoke English with a British accent and had to adopt American speech. A quick adapter to new environments, she worked through the unexpected language barrier and settled into her new life in the U.S.
She first visited Seattle around 2017 and immediately felt drawn to it. While serving in the Army, she was stationed in Oklahoma and Hawaii, but she eventually requested Washington state for her final assignment because she loved Seattle. She moved to Washington in October 2020 and was stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), where she later retired from the military. Following the passing of Future’s stepdad in 2016, her mother moved with her through Future’s different military stations and now lives with her in Seattle, where she works for the FAA. Future works at the VA hospital in inventory management and supply, the same field she worked in during her time in the military.
Outside of work, Future spends much of her time enjoying Seattle’s sports and entertainment scene. She set a goal of attending games for every major Seattle sports team and has been checking them off, including the Seahawks, Mariners, Storm, and Reign. She frequently attends concerts at Climate Pledge Arena and also enjoys comedy shows and Broadway productions.
She has two miniature schnauzers, Aries and Cairo. She adopted her first dog during a difficult period recovering from surgery to encourage herself to get out, walk, and interact with others. The experience helped her heal, and she later adopted a second dog during another recovery.
While in the military and experiencing multiple moves, Future hadn’t been rooted in a single place. Now that she has put roots down in Seattle, she looks forward to volunteering and wants to join her local Rotary Club. She said, “I’ve been a beneficiary of so many organizations that I want to give back to.”
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Prior to buying her Habitat home at Yarrow Cottages in South Park, Future lived in an apartment in Mukilteo, a location she chose when working at her previous job at Boeing. Her long commute from Mukilteo to the VA hospital in Columbia City was difficult and limiting, particularly in her ability to spend time with her dogs. After six months of searching for a home within her price range and preferred location, she found a Habitat SKKC listing on Zillow that met her needs. She was initially unsure whether she would qualify, but after applying, she qualified for a Habitat home. Receiving that news was one of the happiest moments she had experienced in a long time.
Her experience with the homebuying process was positive and supportive. She appreciated the clear communication, structured steps, and educational classes that helped her understand each part of the homebuying process.
She felt excitement about living close to work, reducing her commute, and being close to parks, a library, and the nearby Georgetown neighborhood. As they prepared to move into their new home, Future and her mother looked forward to the community that awaited them: “We’re so excited to be in a community again. We haven’t really been in a community since I retired.”
Future was especially excited about decorating, and as she planned for her move, she created a large mood board and chose paint colors for the walls for the first time since childhood. She was most excited about the kitchen, imagining a bright green and yellow space where she could cook and host friends. She enjoys making dishes such as Japanese curry and cooking recipes influenced by her mother, who is from Nigeria. She plans to host dinners and welcomes the opportunity to gather with friends and coworkers in her new home. She added, “I finally get to be in my own space where I can express myself.”
Upon moving into her house in May, she blessed the home by expressing gratitude and setting positive intentions. Now, she looks forward to creating a space filled with love, where her dogs can run and her family can feel at home. She views her home as a place where all the elements that already make up her sense of home, her mother, her dogs, and her experiences, can finally come together in one place.
