Boarders seek homes for the holidays International students find options during school breaks

By Melody Tian | News Editor

W ith Christmas rapidly approaching, students are starting to plan holiday trips and talking about the activities they are most excited for this holiday season. Advisories are decked out in colors of red and green while students self-organize holiday festivities like White Elephant and Secret Santa. Sitting alone on her bed in boarding, junior Yoyo Yuan wishes she could spend the holidays with her family.

Yuan’s family lives in Shanghai, China, where there is a five-day centralized quarantine and a three-day at-home quarantine period for COVID. Because of these restrictions, Yuan has decided not to go back home during the break. Since the beginning of the school year, she has been asking her friends whether they could house another person during the holiday.

“I definitely understand why boarding closes during the holiday break, but it’s just hard for some of us to find a place to stay,” Yuan said. “It was actually kind of stressful and somewhat anxiety-inducing, since I wasn’t sure if I would have a place to stay in the beginning.”

The search for a host family proved difficult since many families travel during the break and others do not have the accommodations to house another person. However, after weeks of asking around, a friend finally agreed to let Yuan stay with her.

“I am actually very excited to stay with my friend because we plan on going on a mini vacation to Nevada together,” Yuan said.

Yuan said she anticipates going out of state, something she rarely does, to visit the Red Rock Canyon and sightsee.

Junior boarder Kaelyn Lee said she is excited to go back to Korea during the holiday.

“I feel very fortunate that I get to go back to my home since I know firsthand the struggles of trying to find a host family,” Lee said. “I am also very excited since there are definitely days in boarding when I miss my family.”

Lee looks forward to reuniting with her dog, who she hasn’t seen since summer. Though her family constantly sends her pictures, she said it is a different feeling seeing her in person.

“My dog is like my best friend, so it’s always the best feeling to see her after months of separation,” Lee said. “It’s also great to have conversations with my family and catch up on the things we’ve missed out on in each other’s lives.”

Lee said it always feels nostalgic to spend her holidays where she grew up and continue holiday traditions with her family. She said she cannot wait to decorate her house with peppermint candles and fairy lights.

While Yuan wishes she could see her family, she is grateful for how things turned out.