Carl Van Baelen

" BIRDS BORN IN A CAGE THINK FLYING IS AN ILLNESS "

I was lucky enough to do a journalistic internship in New York City. This concrete jungle with its unmistakable skyline became my home for three amazing months. I did an internship with the editorial staff of two websites: The Celebrity Cafe, the longest running entertainment publication on the internet and the political website To The Center. From march 13th till june 19th 2011 I practiced the journalistic and social content of my education. I wrote 222 short articles in total. It was a very intensive job training, yet I still had enough time to explore NYC at my leisure; I roamed its wide streets, climbed its high buildings and sailed its surrounding rivers.

During my time in the city, my love for the metropole grew day after day. By the end of my internship I had made up my mind: New York was the place I wanted to live. Almost three years later I find myself as determined as the day I said farewell to that famous skyline. The urge didn't go away. During the next years, I never got the time to let those feelings pass or even ignore. On a daily basis I got confronted with my second home through film, music, television and so much more. New York is hot in the eye of the media. And there's a good reason for it.

However, immigrating to the U.S. is no easy task, to say the least. I am very much aware of that. The so called land of opportunity opens its pearly gates almost primarily for those who can contribute to its economic regime. Despite being a realist i'm also a self-proclaimed opportunist. I believe in the power of possibility; seising opportunities to generate your own path in life.