Juan Chia must travel approximately 3,200 miles to see his family – and after a full year away from home, all he cares about is the food.

After a six-hour flight with a five-hour layover in Florida, Chia, a senior from Peru, will arrive at his home around 11 p.m. and immediately ask his mom for a home-cooked meal. After a year of grocery shopping and trying to cook on his own, he said he is anxiously awaiting being pampered by his parents.

“I’m pretty spoiled [at home],” Chia said.

Foram Ashar, a sophomore from Dubai, will travel even farther – approximately 7,500 miles – to taste her favorite dishes from home.

“I’m kind of sick of American food now,” she said.

Though airfares are expensive, Ashar said she doesn’t let the high prices impact her biannual flights to Dubai. She always returns to her family for the summer and winter holidays.

“I know my parents want to see me that much,” she said. “And I really, really want to go home.”

But Ashar must book her flights well in advance to find the best deals. She bought tickets for winter break immediately after returning from summer vacation. Chia said this aspect of preparation is the most difficult part of traveling home for the holidays.

“Sometimes you can’t plan because you don’t really know when your final tests will be,” he said.

Chia said he tries to buy plane tickets early, but sometimes it is impossible to know what his plans will be that far in advance. He also tries to save money by using Spirit Airlines, a less expensive alternative to larger corporations such as Delta.

Liz Sheldon, a sophomore from Tacoma, Wash., said she also knows how hard it can be to find a good deal on a plane ticket. Though Sheldon doesn’t have to travel outside of the country, she must spend a full day in airports and on the road to return home.

This year, she plans to go home only for the Christmas break because of the price of travel.

“I would have normally gone home for Thanksgiving,” Sheldon said. “But the ticket price was twice as much as my ticket for Christmas.”

Sheldon, who spent Thanksgiving with a friend in Peachtree City, plans to make up for lost family time during her winter vacation. She said she is most excited about going on a hunting trip with her dad.

“I miss being able to see my younger sister grow up,” Sheldon said. “It’s hard not even having the chance to go back [during the school year].”