For decades, I stayed silent.

I built a life, earned degrees, spoke in lecture halls, raised children.

But I never spoke this truth — the one buried beneath memory, trauma, and time.

In this episode, I reflect on the moment that finally cracked the silence.

What erupted wasn’t loud or violent — it was gentle. Clear.

A voice inside me said: “Now. It’s time.”

This is the story of why I finally listened.

🌀 Ney. Volcano. Memory.

Thank you for walking with me.

(CW: This episode includes references to PTSD, exile, and intergenerational trauma.)

Ney solo by Shahin.

Production assistance by Stéphane Dandeneau.

In this gripping second chapter of The Falcon & The Whale, Shahin recounts the perilous journey across the Iran–Turkey border — on foot, through the night, and into the unknown. What begins as a calculated escape soon unravels into a descent through snowfields, tight passages beneath stone, and the near-loss of life on an icy mountainside. Through exhaustion, terror, and unlikely grace, three young men inch toward freedom, carrying nothing but fear, faith, and each other.

Blending lived memory with poetic reflection, this episode explores the somatic weight of exile — how the body remembers even when the mind dissociates. From drinking meltwater with bare hands to being pulled back from death by a mountain guide’s arms, each moment reveals the fragile thread between survival and surrender.

The falcon begins its flight. The whale dives deeper. And we are brought to the valley between who we were and who we must become.

Ney solo by Shahin.

Background track by Onetent (https://pixabay.com/users/onetent-15616180/)

In this premiere episode of The Falcon & The Whale, Shahin takes us to the threshold of transformation — the night he left Iran, not by choice, but by necessity. 

We journey through the tension of political persecution, a near-fatal attack on a friend, and the quiet courage of a father preparing his sons for exile. Told with raw intimacy and mythic undertones, this story marks the beginning of a long arc: from soil to sky, from fear to becoming.

Through breath, memory, and the ache of goodbye, we meet the boy who will walk into the mountains — and the man who will emerge on the other side.

Ney solo by Shahin.

Background track by Onetent (https://pixabay.com/users/onetent-15616180/)