<p>So I’m not really going to Caltech yet, but I’ve visited four times now, travelling alone three times. (My sister went there as well… I’m not just a college stalker.) Travel generally means two flights (one connection) and something on the order of $300 round-trip if you spend a bit of time looking for airfare, depending on timing and such. It means basically losing a day to travel when you go east, but it’s not too much of a hassle. (The Denver airport is a nice place to spend the night, really. 
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<p>I think east coasters tend to go home (or someplace non-Caltech anyway) for winter break but not, say, Thanksgiving, although exams factor in with the latter. Basically if your parents’ idea of “home very often” is 5 weekend visits plus major breaks… well, no, that’s not practical. </p>
<p>The simpler solution, depending on your parents, is to figure out why they want you home so often and try to reassure them that you will eat your vegetables/write to Aunt Bertha/live roughly as they taught you/stay somewhat under their influence. And if you have to be in California for an earthquake, Caltech’s probably the place to be.</p>