As junior and senior year of college approach, every student becomes frantic in the search for the perfect internship. For some majors, it is not required. However, for others, it is almost impossible to find a job out of college without one. I know I can speak for every business major that the search for an internship for the summer is stressful, confusing, and absolutely terrifying. But on the bright side, landing that internship you had been interviewing for over the past 3 months is the most rewarding feeling in the world.

While the search for an internship that is both interesting and relevant is hard enough, it is even harder to find one that is in the area you would like. I know a lot of my friends have to either travel far to get to their internship, or even move to another area or state for the summer months just to have an easier commute. Ideally, we all want an internship in a fun city. In my situation, this city is New York City. Just an hour commute by train from my house and I am in the most amazing city in the world. I was fortunate enough to get offered an internship position at a great company in NYC, and so far it has been the greatest experience of my life. Here are 5 of my favorite perks of having an internship in NYC.

1. While the commute is exhausting, it is worth it. Waking up at 6:30 in the morning, getting ready as fast as possible, and catching a train an hour later gets pretty tiring throughout the week. I am not a morning person, and usually require 8+ hours of sleep. This just isn’t a reality when you are commuting into the city every morning Monday-Friday, but it sure is worth it the second I step off the train in NYC. There is no better city in the world, and that feeling you get when you realize you have the opportunity to work in it is indescribable.

2. Most likely, you will have friends working nearby. Having friends to commute with, eat lunch with, or even go out with after work only add to the excitement of working in New York City. Chances are, if you are close enough to commute into the city, many other people that you know will be too. Even if they don’t work too close to you, a subway ride is always an option.

3. Happy hour! All school year long, I couldn’t stop thinking about how nice it would be to get out of work and attend happy hour with friends and co-workers. Happy hour is the perfect option for a low-paid intern, and is a great way to end the day. Also, a perk of being an intern means you don’t really have TOO many responsibilities at work to have to ever stay overtime and miss all the fun.

4. Proud parents. I don’t know about you, but my parents were so proud of me when I gave them the news about my internship. To be honest, my parents were proud of me when I got my first job at a pizzeria in high school, so a real internship gave them the ultimate sense of pride and excitement. Being in NYC was just the icing on the cake.

5. Proud self. Not only were my parents proud of me for having an internship in the city, but I was proud of myself. From applying for 10+ internship positions, to the interview process, all throughout the wishing and waiting, to getting offers and finally starting my first day, the entire process was something I am so beyond proud of. I set goals for myself and achieved them, and each and every day at work is a reminder of that.