The Buzz

Right now I am walking on a long empty road, forty minutes of solitude, just walking by the sea. I have not seen a single soul in this entire time except a black cat that has crossed my path. But now I have come across an old man sitting by the sea. He only has a stick, himself and a bocadillo while he gazes at the sunset. We are both looking at this gorgeous array of colors in the sky but were seeing it very differently. He has more life experience than me, knows this view better than me, and has more patience than me. But we are both here at the same time and same place looking at that fiery ball in the sky.

Our Monday began at 8:00 AM in the morning, the time we left Nice, France for Florence, Italy. Nice is a beautiful city on the Mediterranean Sea and we had a lot of fun walking and sitting on the beach. 

Proctor's Mountain Classroom group shares a final blog of the Winter Term as Timmy '20 reflects on their student planned and led expedition to Joshua Tree National Park. Congratulations to this winter's group on a job well done! 

As we spent our last week in Aix-en-Provence and our beautiful cozy house in Vauvenargues, we enjoyed the sunshine, the picnics, the broken dryer, the excursions, and the art that we are proud to have created.

Although I arrived a day late and missed an exciting day in the Roman ruins of Itálica on Saturday, I can say without doubt that the weekend excursion to Sevilla was my favorite thing that we have done in Spain so far. From the moment I arrived, I couldn’t contain my excitement to see if Sevilla lived up to its reputation of relentless zest for life and heavenly Mediterranean climate. As Laura and I entered the city and made our way towards the hostel, my excitement manifested itself into frustration. The only thing separating us from the 65 degree weather, the glow of the city under the siesta sun, and the equally vibrant people and colors painting the city was an Uber window.

On our first day in Madrid, the group flew in around 5:00 pm for a 6:00 pm check in at our hotel, Petit Palace. After everyone got situated in their rooms we met in the lobby to embark on a walking tour of the area. We ended the night with dinner at a family restaurant serving tortilla de patatas.

On Saturday, we had the opportunity to witness two of Spain’s finest displays of art: the Prado and an Atlético Madrid soccer match. Although I am mostly certainly partial to the beautiful sport, the Prado gave me a deeper appreciation for the arts.

Each winter and spring, a group of Proctor sophomores spends a term studying at The Cloud Forest School in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Living with host families, navigating the small city of Monteverde independently, and taking a full academic load is no easy task, but this winter's group is thriving. At the core of the study abroad experience in Costa Rica is the home stay where our students are immersed in the Spanish language and develop relationships that last a lifetime. Read more about the power of the home stay experience below.