During my recent trip to Spain and since arriving on campus in Andover this week, I have been reflecting on Proctor's off-campus programs and the way these programs complement, support, and naturally extend from on-campus academics and activities. In our little corner of Segovia, Spain, where Proctor operates an off-campus linguistic and cultural immersion program, life seems to move at a slower pace, providing a natural opportunity for reflection and introspection.

We were having dinner in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, France when I received the call. As soon as I saw the incoming call from Mike Henriques on my iPhone screen I knew there would be no spring term and my heart sank.

In their first two weeks in Spain, the Proctor en Segovia Fall 2015 group wastes no time in fully immersing themselves in Spanish language and culture. Luke and Haley write this post!

In the final weeks of the spring 2015 term, Proctor en Segovia hits the road, first traveling from Segovia to Barcelona via high-speed train and then north along the Catalan Costa Brava.  Next, on the final long excursion of the term, the group leaves from Segovia in rented vehicles, driving southwest along the Sistema Central mountain range, and then crossing into the Spanish region of Extremadura and Portugal’s Alentejo region. Finally, students traverse eastern Andalucía, visiting Sevilla, Cádiz and rural sections of the Costa de la Luz on the Strait of Gibraltar!

Living with a host family in a foreign city, country, culture, and language is certainly one of the most challenging, and sometimes exhausting, experiences possible for any student. By the end of a term living abroad in Segovia, however, Proctor students almost without exception rank the homestay experience as one of their very favorite aspects of the program.  Here students write of their experiences living with Spanish families and reflect on the deep learning that occurs from living life en español.