Proctor en Monteverde: The Multiple Dimensions of the Host Family Experience

When we think about Proctor's off-campus programs, we often imagine students engaging in experiential learning and participating in activities as they travel throughout Europe, the American Southwest, Costa Rica, and sail along the Atlantic seaboard. As Sophie '27 and Elliot '27 perfectly capture here in their writing about Proctor's off-campus program in Monteverde, Costa Rica, off-campus programs are often, quite simply, hard -- to varying degrees and at different points throughout any given term. However, by persevering and embracing the experience, students achieve personal growth while learning through engagement with the activities and communities in which they are immersed. In the case of Proctor en Monteverde, students acquire a wealth of Spanish language skills by embracing life with Costa Rican host families. Just as important, they learn about culture, form connections with people from very different backgrounds, and are exposed to diverse viewpoints -- often forever altering their perspectives on the world. Read more from Sophie and Elliot below!

Sophie '27

I didn't realize quite how little Spanish I knew until I stepped off the airplane. When we stopped to get lunch that first day, I found myself fumbling for vocabulary that simply wasn't there. When I first stepped off the plane, I didn't even know what arroz meant. Those first few days before we headed to Monteverde, I was quite nervous about meeting my host family. It was a day or two before we left that I found out who they were. Hellen and Allan would be my host parents, and they had one daughter, Alina, along with one cat, Gigi, and one dog, Luna. 

It turns out that I needn't have worried. Allan, Hellen and Alina are some of the nicest people I know, and not once have they made me feel like anything less than family. I may not have known much Spanish, but Allan and Hellen were both super patient with me. Allan knew some English, so he was able to help me when I couldn't quite understand or articulate something. My Spanish has certainly improved by miles since I've arrived here, but while better, it still can't hold a candle to Alina's fantastic English.

Growing up, I've only ever had three older brothers, and I am five years younger than them at a minimum. So having a host sister only three years younger than me was certainly a new experience. I've gotten the opportunity to get to know Alina in a way I never could with my brothers. It's been amazing playing and exchanging the different games that we know and getting to discover our shared interests. I'll always treasure the times spent playing Battleship with the chalk and whiteboards, or watching "Arcane" on the neighbor's wifi at the edge of the property, while our own internet didn't work.

Over the course of the time I've been in Monteverde, we've had quite a few gatherings. Sometimes it was to watch the rodeo on TV, sometimes it was just having friends over, and one time it was for a barbeque. Other times we would be going somewhere else, be it the river or a birthday party. Oftentimes, I would play games with Alina and any other kids around our age, Alina helping to explain the rules. What I remember the most from all these little parties was just how bright and welcoming the atmosphere was. I didn't need to speak Spanish or even understand the conversations going on around me because everyone was just having so much fun. The joy was infectious, be it when we were playing Uno or watching the rodeo; it was simply happy in the purest sense of the word. 
I've made so many memories in what now feels like a short few weeks of being here. I'll remember the time spent dancing after singing happy birthday, (or cumpleaños feliz in this case), eating chifrijo on the night of the first rodeo, watching "Stray Kids" music videos, losing three times in a row during a game of tonto and figuring out answers to the questions given by "¿Quién Quiere Ser Millionario?" and I hope I never forget any of it. It's only about two weeks now before we'll be heading back to the States, and of all the wonderful things in Monteverde, it'll be my host family that I'll miss the most.

Elliot '27

Starting at Proctor for my first year was scary, but at least I spoke the same language as the people there. When I first arrived in Monteverde and met my host family, for the first few days, it was very awkward. My Spanish was not at a good enough level to communicate much beyond the level of Google Translate and hand gestures, although I tried to prepare and practice as much as possible. I spent the first couple of days petrified of someone in my family trying to talk to me because I simply couldn't understand them, unless they were speaking to me like they would to the baby. It was a difficult time, but gradually, my Spanish improved, and I began to get the hang of the cadence and rhythm of the language.

One of the ways I bonded with my host family and learned more about the language and words they use was by sitting in the kitchen and helping my host parents cook. I started off with menial tasks like washing lettuce or grating carrots. Through these tasks I learned a lot about their lives and their country. I would sit in the kitchen for hours often doing nothing, but trying to absorb information from my host parents. 

Asking about their recipes and how they prepare their food led to such an improvement in my Spanish, but it also allowed me to learn more about Costa Rica and my family in particular. Through this, I not only learned a lot of amazing Tico recipes, but I also learned about their lives and how they live and function as a family, which helped me mesh better into their culture.

To be fair, there were also awkward parts, like navigating religion, politics, and cultural differences between the culture of the US and a majority Catholic Central American country. All of us learned how to navigate and be respectful and learn from each other's differences in beliefs and how we lived.

For instance, I never felt pressured to go to church with my family and I always made sure to ask questions and try to learn about Catholicism. I even went to my baby host brother's baptism! I loved learning about the differences in culture and food, but also their views on religion and why it belongs in a society where the majority belongs to the same religion. Although we did not always agree with each other, we made sure to always remain respectful and to learn as much as possible from each other.

The main point of living with a host family is to learn and exchange culture. This involves simple things like food, music, and language, but it also involves complicated things like personal politics, religion, and differences in societal views. These complicated topics are the root of why living with a host family is so valuable, because while many people grow up in a bubble and never leave, I received the invaluable opportunity to leave this bubble and explore and learn beyond the culture I was raised in.

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