While many students may have pipe dreams of road tripping across America during school breaks, but end up spending their vacations with Mom and Dad, Wenjin Weng took her chance and drove to Florida over Christmas break.

I wanted to see Disneyworld, she said. School breaks give me the chance to see America. Last summer we drove to parts of Eastern U.S.A., Washington D.C. and Buffalo.

Some international students like Weng, a graduate in biochemistry from mainland China, do not have the chance to travel back home during semester breaks because of longer distances, time constraints and money. Instead, some find various ways to amuse themselves during their stay in America.

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Weng said she tries to see different parts of the country whenever she has time away from school. She said part of the reason she wanted to be an international student was the opportunity to travel that it affords.

You always hear about Western culture, but you have to experience it to understand it, she said.

While staying at a friend’s home in Florida, Weng said she had the chance to visit the Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center and MGM Studios.

I liked Epcot very much, she said. It is full of American technology.

Many international students do not dread the long semester breaks, Crystal Shi, a graduate student in biochemistry from mainland China, said. She said she enjoys the time off from studies and the chance to correspond with her family more.

During the semester you work so hard. It’s nice to have a break, she said. You get a chance to visit friends in another place.

After her plans to visit New Orleans fell through, Shi said she had to amuse herself in Carbondale over the holidays. She said playing in the mounds of snow was the best part of her vacation.

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I grew up in the south part of China, she said. We get a little bit of snow, but we never got as much as here. I took pictures of all the snow on the ground.

Instead of traveling around America, Graciliano Ruiz, a graduate student in accounting from Venezuela, said he decided to use the time off from school to clean up around the house.

Usually my wife and I travel, but we decided to stay here instead, he said. I cleaned the kitchen, the bathroom and the rest of my house over break.

Ruiz said although the snow kept his family in the house over much of Christmas break, he still had to go holiday shopping with his wife.

I spent a lot of time shopping this break, he said. I think I went to every store in Carbondale.