With semester break less than two weeks away, most students are planning to return to home to spend time with their families.

Some students just have a longer journey home than others.

“It’s pretty expensive for three weeks vacation, but I just want to be with my family,” said Kivanc Kahya, sophomore in computer science and native of Turkey.

Kahya plans to fly into Istanbul to stay with friends from high school and then travel to Adana where his family lives.

But he doesn’t only miss his loved ones. Kahya is craving a home-cooked meal.

“The best part is the food,” he said. “I am not going to care about healthy food. I am just going to eat whatever I can find.”

But not all international students are as lucky as Kahya. Home is too far away for people such as Francis Kaniaru.

Kaniaru, senior in pre-business, won’t be going home to Kenya for the holidays.

“The break is only three weeks long, and it’s not enough to do the things you want to do or spend time with your family and with your friends,” Kaniaru said.

Although he will have to face another cold Iowa December and will miss the warm African weather during the semester break, Kaniaru does have plans to make up for his absence when he goes home this summer.

“I would rather go home in the summer so I can have enough time to visit with my family,” he said.

Considering flight time and jet lag, Kaniaru said the 17 days he would get at home would not be enough to visit all of his family and friends.

Kaniaru said it takes about two days to get to Kenya via plane and a day or two to recover from jet lag.

But Ames won’t have to be a lonely holiday season for Kaniaru.

“I will get to do things with my kid brother because he attends Iowa State also,” he said.

International students living in the residence halls won’t necessarily have to find alternative housing in Ames during break, even if they are sticking around like Kaniaru.

The residence halls, such as Linden Hall and Westgate Hall, offer continuous housing for students who can’t go home.

Amy Roozenboom, Linden Hall director, said she was glad the Department of Residence had halls that stayed open during the winter break.

“The biggest benefit is just providing the opportunity for them to stay,” she said.

Roozenboom said resident assistants and security will be on staff to make the dorms as safe as home for the holidays.