I lived in WASHINGTON LONGER than I have lived ANYWHERE else, so it's considered home, even though I moved BACK to California.
I'm coming out of the belly of Iran. It was the only place I was FREE. It's FUNNY - when I say that, everyone is like, 'What? FREEDOM?' But the freedom I FELT in Iran I've never felt anywhere else. Freedom of mind, freedom of time, of spirit. But after a while, you're so wounded that if you CONTINUE thinking about Iran, it will kill you.
I was thrown into a POSITION where I had to learn a new language, become PROFESSIONAL and not be just that child anymore coming into a team. I was able to learn from PLAYERS that were so experienced at such a high level. You can't get that ANYWHERE else. Nothing against COLLEGE, but you can't get that in college.
When you work at Google and tell these ENGINEERS that their skill SET is relevant to somebody in Iran who doesn't have access to information in their country or the rest of the WORLD, it really inspires them to want to do something about it. There is a GENUINE altruism that exists at this company, and that's why I'm here and not anywhere else.
The sheer sensory experience of SAN Francisco is unlike anywhere else. Not just the physical beauty, but the textures, the feel, the wind, the ocean. It's a MONUMENTAL feeling unrivaled by anywhere else. Its a world class, GORGEOUS city. And the coffee is great.