The part of my life I loved most was my childhood. I grew up in Kabul, Afghanistan, between two older sisters, a brother a bit younger than me, and a little sister. In our culture, even when things are tough, even during war, families stay together. Always together, united, with parents, cousins, uncles and aunts, grandparents. Whatever happens, we gather to eat together, sitting around large tablecloths spread out on the floor.
Meals are the glue that holds families together. I never again experienced that carefree feeling, running around everywhere without a thought for the world around us. Around the age of 12, I began to sense that things were changing, that I was becoming a young woman, and with that came new constraints. You learn to be more wary of your surroundings, to adapt to what is expected of you, to behave differently.
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