Did I turn into a Carolo ?

One of the most underrated cities in Belgium is Charleroi. I admit, I was also one of those people who looked at the “Carolo” with a mocking expression, but everything changed when I had to started to hang out there. Believe it or not, moving to Charleroi changed my life. The problem is that now, people also look at me with a mocking air.

"I found a part of myself that had been missing for a long time, and the irony in all this is that it was hiding in Charleroi."

When I decided to quit medicine, I didn't tell anyone. I needed courage to take the leap, and it would have taken very little to convince me to stay. In a sense, it feels like I fled without looking back.

Everything happened very quickly, in less than a week I was enrolled and the following Monday I started my new bachelor. I had chosen computer science focused on health and life sciences because it was love at first sight. I had always found women in tech to be badass, and I secretly nurtured the desire to one day become a renowned computer scientist (well, rather a renowned hacker, but that's just a detail).

So, I had just started my dream studies, the downside being that they were in Charleroi.

I have always considered myself a native Brusselians. I've been told that I even have the accent to prove it. I had gotten used to the comfort that the city brings: having everything nearby, regular (I emphasize regular) and fast public transportation, activities everywhere, and I could go on with the list.

If you had seen me arrive at Charleroi Sud train station, you would have laughed. Before conquering the city, I had to first tame their dragon to get around, also known as the TEC. At present, I still haven't tamed it, but if it reassures you, I have learned techniques to handle it.

My second challenge was discovering my campus, although calling it a campus is a bit of a stretch for the building where my university is located. (Editor's note: They have moved and are now located in the city center.) I was surprised to find that it consisted of a parking lot next to a hospital. You might say that this last detail didn't change much from the Woluwe campus, and I would agree with a sheepish smile. Beyond that, the Charleroi campus is a mini-campus, which, at the time, consisted of about ten people, and that hasn't changed until now, by the way. We can say that we have top-notch support, which is a real luxury.

In fact, I even became an ambassador for this bachelor's program. I have to do my job, even if it's on my personal blog.

As for the rest, I adapted. There still isn't much to do, and this city is always under construction or on strike, but the people are kind and non-judgmental.

When I decided to leave Medical School, I felt like I was starting over from scratch, and I didn't have the courage for it. Although it was to pursue something much better for me, I experienced it as a failure, and the little voice in my head kept questioning this choice. I had to roll up my sleeves, trust my intuition, and have a little faith.

To be honest with you, I cried a lot in the first month. I didn't know what I was doing there, but with time, the pain faded, the doubts dissipated, and I found myself. I found a part of myself that had been buried for a long time, and the irony in all of this is that it was hiding in Charleroi.

This city is undergoing reconstruction, and so am I. It has been a kind of refuge in which I could grow. It is a part of me. I now proudly identify myself as a Carolo (but not too much, though).