I was born in Iran, and I went to school to study law to become a judge. Then the revolution happened, and women could no longer be judges. The only option for an outspoken woman like me was to leave my country, and so I came to New York in my early 20s on a student visa. I lived in Jackson Heights, Queens, and I didn\u2019t have any money. I couldn\u2019t study law in the U.S.; I couldn\u2019t afford it. I was starting over completely.<\/p>\n
I found a job as a nanny, and the family paid me a little extra to cook their meals. My own mother had taught me to cook when I was growing up, and it was always something I was passionate about, but I never considered it professionally. The family noticed that I could cook really well, and the wife recommended me to her friends, so I started cooking in other people\u2019s homes for parties, people\u2019s birthdays, things like that. People would tell me, \u201cYou should open a restaurant.\u201d But I was so young, and still a student in a master\u2019s program. To me, the only way to advance was through higher education, so I got a useless master\u2019s degree and kept doing all kinds of odd jobs \u2014 waitressing, babysitting, working in a copy shop.<\/p>\n
When I got the opportunity to open my own copy-and-print shop, I was beside myself. It was the first chance I had for financial stability. I had that business for eight years, and it did really well. During that time, I got married, and between my husband and me, our financial situation improved significantly. We were working hard and dining out a lot, and I would always look at the food scene and say, \u201cWhy is nobody doing a good job with Iranian food?\u201d I started thinking seriously about opening a coffee shop in the East Village that would serve Persian food for breakfast and lunch. We were also trying to start a family, and it was difficult. I lost pregnancies. And then I got pregnant with twins, so I put the restaurant idea on the back burner.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n I cannot get enough of stories of people in their 50s, 60's, even 80s who are hell-bent on going after their dream – and make a massive success of it. <\/p>\n The Moment I Realized My Second Act Could Work https:\/\/t.co\/So9giUUXjK<\/a> via @thecut<\/a><\/p>\n — Sarah Keegan (@SaraKeeg) March 4, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n