How I fled a bad marriage in Iran for a new life in London

Cooking Iranian dishes for her new neighbours opened all sorts of doors for Atoosa Sepehr

In December 2007, Atoosa Sepehr arrived in the UK from Iran, knowing no one, her life ahead a clear space, a blank sheet. She was 30 years old, fleeing a disastrous marriage and her escape – more of which later – had been an overnight flit. She’d packed in under an hour, been driven to Tehran at speed by her mother, bought a ticket and raced through departures.

She landed in a London lit up for Christmas, the crowds buzzing. “That did give me a boost, it was beautiful, everywhere was bright, everyone was celebrating,” says Sepehr. “I felt some hope – like this could be home – but no one was talking to me and that was hard. In Iran, wherever you go, people talk to you as if they’ve known you for years. I was very down, scared and homesick.”

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/2OpJGGN

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