During all three trimesters of the academic year since 1972, Proctor has operated an off-campus program in Spain. Rather than experiencing Spain through the transitory lens of a tourist, Proctor en Segovia students live with host families, immersed in the language and culture.
During a term abroad, Proctor en Segovia students build knowledge and connections as they work towards mastery in their history, Spanish, and English classes. They are also continuously learning about Spain and Spanish culture simply by living with a host family for two months and tapping into their curiosity and powers of observation when traveling throughout the country. Enjoy this selection of journal entries from Fall 2022 Proctor en Segovia students as they reflect on important moments and places on their Proctor en Segovia journey.
The last week of Fall Euro 2022 was a whirlwind of finishing up our books, plein air painting, and working on our carnets (sketch/travel journals). We went to our final French, art history, and literature classes on Monday and used the rest of the day to walk around Aix for the last time. On Tuesday we went to Dave's friend, Danielle’s vineyard. We had meant to do our last plein air painting there, but decided to work in our carnets instead.
This past week, we went on an incredible voyage to Valencia, Spain. The five days we spent there were filled with traditional Spanish food, Flamenco, so much historically significant art, gelato, group dinners, sketching in our carnets, the beach, card games, milkshakes, walking, bus rides, an aquarium, and lots of educational opportunities.
After several weeks exploring connections between course material and experienced history, culture, and language in their “home region” of Castilla y León, Proctor en Segovia students traveled south to Córdoba and Sevilla. There they experienced firsthand the history, culture, and architecture of the region of Andalucía.
II’s the night before we embark on our 2nd journey of the term, to Valencia, and I want to recap on the past week. Being here for the past month has been a dream, the art, the culture, and the food is all incredible.
Onto the fourth week, the term's halfway point. It was also the first week which the group spent in Aix after a weeklong excursion spent in Amsterdam. Personally, I was not sure how we were going to continue to have fun in Aix after returning, but this past week was more than fun.
After returning from Basque Country, Proctor en Segovia students have spent the past week closer to their home base in Spain. They are not lacking, however, in opportunities to continue their Spanish history education, first during morning history classes and then in the castle tower high above the old quarter of Segovia and in an underground basilica in the Guadarrama Mountains that separate Segovia and Madrid. Another highlight from this past week was the Thursday night cooking class featuring a parent visitor and guest chef and host mom Lujan!
