U.S. families meet Segovia host families during Proctor en Segovia's "family weekend"!

I remember standing there and being shocked. I felt like it was almost a complete coincidence. Here I was in Segovia, Spain, and, all of a sudden, I realized that my two worlds had just clashed. I have become very used to my Spanish family, feel comfortable with them and feel that I am at home with them, and, of course, I feel comfortable with my own parents, who I have been with for all of my life. Now they have come together in a moment that I will never forget. I remember seeing the excited look on my host parents’ faces. After all this time where this boy has been living with them, it was not until now that they have discovered a huge part of my life.

Cristiano Ronaldo is coming down the right side of the field with the ball. This mastermind of a soccer player is not thinking about the 68,000 people screaming for him, watching his every move, nor is he thinking about how the home team is down 0-1 and it’s a must win. Ronaldo’s mind is locked on to the field, and as he dribbles the ball he is processing in his head where every defender is, what they may do and what he must do to get past them. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Bale open. He can read his fellow teammate’s mind, knows where he is going and knows where he would like the ball. And, in less than a second, Ronaldo strikes the ball in such a perfect way that it sails across the field, over all the defenders, curving in midair to perfectly hit Bale to head it forward to score a goal. The second Ronaldo passed the ball he knew Bale would put it away; now all he had to do was watch.

These paths hold memories that I can't even imagine. History has traveled this same path. This path goes for many miles, through mountains, valleys, woods, cities, and even farms. So much history is ingrained in this path. I have begun to realize that I am also a part of this history. Everyone that walks this path is part of its history. I am realizing how lucky I am to have the opportunity to become apart of history that goes back more than a thousand years.

The first week in Segovia has been a blast. Everybody is starting to become accustomed to their host families. All of the host families are filled with amazing people who are all extremely excited about the opportunity to teach American students all about the culture and lifestyle of Spaniards.

The end is here
The time I've feared
Where I must return home
Where I've always roamed
Goodbye to this country of beauty
I have done my duty
I have learned your ways
Here I have spent the best of days
Sadly I must say goodbye
For the end is nigh
So farewell dear old Spain
Until we meet again!

This blog post is a bit different than our usual reports on weekly happenings.  It features writing by Matt about time, creative writing by Sadie as she people watches in Madrid, and three videos (thank you Ethney!) from our adventures over the past several weeks!

In this post, Proctor en Segovia spring 2016 journeys from the high plains and mountains of Castilla to the Mediterranean coast of Catalonia. In the capital of the region, Barcelona, we saw Catalan separatist flags and heard an unfamiliar Romance language. We were surrounded by Gaudí’s modernisme and walked through layers of history (Roman, Jewish, and the late medieval Aragonese empire). North of the capital, in the land that inspired Dalí’s “landscapes” we traversed terraced olive orchards and ancient fishing villages. Enjoy Kevin and Hayden's tales of our visit to Gaudí's Sagrada Familia and our trek on the GR-92.

The day started early in the morning for me. As I walked down stairs to the kitchen, my lovely host mom was there to greet me with a big bagged lunch and big smile. I greeted her, she gave me my lunch, and I was off.