‘The Flying Spirit’: Here’s why a 21-year-old intern commutes to work by plane in the US

Freshmen can learn and experience a wide range of things through internships. A college intern at the age of 21 does, however, know how to make it adventurous as well.Sophia Celentano, a 21-year-old college intern from South Carolina in the United States, has gained attention on social media for her commuting method.She takes a weekly flight from Charleston to Newark rather than renting an apartment close to her summer internship in New Jersey, demonstrating the financial advantages of her unconventional strategy.Let’s take a closer look.It’s cost-effective. But how?The 21-year-old recorded her weekly habit of rising up at 3 am to catch a trip from Charleston to Newark on her TikTok, with the caption "Why I take a plane to work," and it quickly went viral, according to Business Insider.She admits it's a "really untraditional thing to do, but it works for me" due to the financial savings and "flexibility" of living with her family, whom she doesn't see very frequently because she attends the University of Virginia. "I like travelling a lot- I like the adventure."She noted on her LinkedIn profile that instead of paying "$3,400 (~Rs 2.78 lakh) + a month for rent, I book a $100 (~Rs 8,196) round-trip flight on the one day a week I work in-person" as a corporate marketing intern. "I have more lifestyle freedom thanks to my untraditional commute, and I genuinely look forward to my weekly adventures."The 21-year-old claimed in the TikTok video that one employee commutes weekly from Atlanta, Georgia, as per NDTV.Notably, her journey is cost-effective since the median price of an apartment in Manhattan, where her internship is located, rose to a record-breaking $4,241 (~Rs 3.47 lakh) in April, as per CNN.Her firm, Oglivy Health, asks interns to spend typically one day each week in the New Jersey office. According to a job description, a comparable internship earns $15 (~Rs 1,229) to $20 (~Rs 1,639) per hour. The business declined to comment.Ogilvy Health, Celentano's employer, is aware of her circumstance and has offered support, realising the advantages it gives her as an intern, according to CNN. According to her, the employer is aware of the situation and claims it "was never an issue."Also read: Bleisure travel is on the rise: Is combining business and leisure a good idea?The “flying” Spirit She saves money by taking flights on Spirit, a carrier noted for its incredibly low prices. She claimed the expense runs her roughly $100 a week, in addition to an additional $100 (~Rs 8,196) for Uber rides to and from the airport and an additional $25 (~Rs 2,049) for lunch. She will spend $2,250 (~Rs 1.84 lakh) on travel expenses for her 10-week internship.Instead of living, working, and having fun in New Jersey or New York this summer, Celentano claims to be saving at least $2,000 (~R 1.63 lakh) by doing this. She is living with her family in Charleston at a time when rents in Manhattan have risen to record levels and are also approaching record levels in Brooklyn, Queens, and Jersey City.Celentano told CNN that she "wasn't expecting so many people to be surprised by my commute" because her parents both have similar arrangements with their companies in response to the response her videos garnered.“I’ve grown up seeing the flexibility and benefits that provide their lifestyle, so I didn’t really think twice about super commuting this summer. I understand though why people were so shocked by my decision. The financial peace would definitely be shocking from an outside perspective; the fact that commuting is cheaper for me, says a lot about the current cost of living and pressures young adults face as they enter the working world," she said.Also read: What is skiplagging, the new air travel hack that airlines hate?ReactionThe internet was astounded when netizens learned that an intern commutes to work by plane for just one day. According to NDTV, a user asked about "environmental impact," to which, Celentano responded, "Thank you for raising this concern, as this is something I am very conscientious of. I wouldn't have decided to commute by plane if this program was longer than 10 weeks for this very reason. I am hoping more sustainable modes of high-speed transportation will be available shortly, as we could all benefit tremendously from that!"Another netizen commented, "$400 vs $3400? There's a no-brainer there," while a third one questioned, "My only question is why were you looking at rentals in Manhattan (almost an hour commute every day over toll roads) when the job is in NJ where rent is significantly lower?" A TikTok user chipped in, "Perhaps the lesson here is that interns should be paid a decent wage like everyone else."With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.