Proctor en Segovia: Learning to Be Present

Proctor en Segovia students have wrapped up their spring term after two months living with host families in Segovia and traveling to cities across Spain. Mia '26, Victoria '27, Talia '27, and Wynn '26 look back on their term abroad in this series of reflections. They discuss learning to be present on a weekend in San Sebastián, enjoying long meals around the table with their host family, experiential, place-based learning that creates connections, and the deep bonds they made with host families across the language barrier. Read their final reflections of the term below!

Talia ’27

What I’ll miss most about daily life in Segovia isn’t just one big moment or place, but the rhythm of everyday life that slowly became normal without me even realizing it. At first, everything felt new and unfamiliar, but over time, those small routines turned into the parts of my day that I now can’t imagine not having.

One of the things I’ll miss the most is eating lunch and dinner with my host family. Those meals were never just about food, they were about conversation, laughter, and feeling included. 

“At the beginning, those meals felt like a challenge, trying to keep up with conversations in Spanish, figuring out when to speak, and worrying about making mistakes. But over time, those moments became something I looked forward to. Sitting at the table, laughing, telling stories, and understanding more each day made me feel like I wasn’t just visiting Spain, I was actually living here.”
~ Talia ’27

The conversations with my host mom, especially, are something I know I’ll miss. They’re simple, but they’ve helped me grow in confidence and connection in a way that a classroom never could.

I’ll also miss the time spent with Mia and the rest of the group. Whether we were laughing at something random, walking through the streets, or just hanging out after school, those moments felt easy and genuine. There’s something special about being in a new place together – you rely on each other in a different way, and that creates a kind of closeness that’s hard to recreate anywhere else.

Even the daily walk to and from school is something I’ll miss. What once felt like just a commute became time to think, talk, and take in the city around me. Those walks became part of my daily rhythm. The weekend excursions are another part of this experience that I’ll never forget. Traveling to different parts of Spain added so much depth to what we were learning and experiencing. It wasn’t just about seeing new places, but about understanding how diverse the country is and how each place has its own identity.

Something that really changed me was speaking Spanish every day. At first, it was challenging and sometimes frustrating, but over time it became more natural. Having Spanish class with Rosa and then applying what I learned in real-life situations made the language feel alive. I’ll miss that constant practice and the feeling of improving without even noticing.

I’ll also miss the lifestyle here, especially the idea of siesta. Having that time in the afternoon to relax, go to the gym, or spend time with others made each day feel more balanced. It’s a slower pace of life that prioritizes connection and rest, and it’s something I’ve really come to appreciate.

More than anything, I’ll miss how all of these pieces came together to create a daily life that felt full and meaningful. Segovia taught me that it’s often the small, everyday moments—the meals, the walks, the conversations—that end up meaning the most. Leaving them behind will be difficult, but I know they’ve shaped my experience in a way that will stay with me long after I leave.

Victoria '27

“So many times this week my heart has been full. The infamous “Time flies by when you're having fun!” has become prevalent as I saw the week fly by, and my stomach sank when the idea of midterms approaching came up. I find myself constantly reminded to enjoy this and realizing how much I will miss it here when I leave.”
~ Victoria ’27

Wynn ’26

A classroom activity that I found very interesting was learning about the book we were reading and talking, and having a Harkness. It is very cool to talk and discuss topics in class as an assignment. It is very nice to have a hands-on and open assignment and to see other people's points of view on the topic at hand. Another thing that is super cool is experiential learning. I really like being in person with things outside because then it really clicks for me. As well as that, it is not just me who likes experiential learning. When we go into cities and look at things or have activities in class that are more like puzzles and team building, everyone seems to like them and enjoys the activity while also learning, and we are all able to speak about it afterward. It is cool to hear how people looked at experiential learning in their own way and what they were saying afterward. Everyone learns in their own way, but everyone can make connections with experiential learning, which is great. 

Also, more connections I have seen are locations that pop up over and over again in both history and literature. We talk about Salamanca and Sevilla often in both of those classes. Yes, they are both important cities, but they do come up over and over in history and stories. It is very interesting to hear facts and stories about a city like Salamanca, then go there to visit and learn about the area's history. It really makes a solid memory of a place in my mind, which is helpful for learning.

Learning Spanish here is also very different from learning at home. It is a lot more repetitive, and we learn more because we are just forced to. I think it is very good how much we can learn in one class, and Rosa really teaches a lot. We learn different stuff and a lot more every day, things that we will use in our normal lives, and talking with proper grammar and stuff, which is cool. Something that really clicked in real life was using the past tense and new vocabulary with my host family. It really opens up new conversations that I can have with my host family. During my conversations and trying to explain what I am doing every day with my host family, they teach me new phrases, correct my grammar, and help me out. I learn a lot from them because I talk about things in my life, so I remember them, and we talk all the time about different stuff they are interested in too, so I learn new words from that as well.

Those are the moments that I have the most satisfying feeling because I am learning without being in the classroom. 

Mia ’26

Staying present can be one of the hardest things while being abroad. It’s easy to get caught up in everything else and not realize that you’re missing moments that won’t come back. It becomes even harder as a senior, especially with everything around “senior spring,” while also missing friends, close relationships, and home. There have been times when I’ve caught myself wishing I were back instead of fully enjoying where I am. At the same time, I keep reminding myself that experiences like this are temporary. Being in Segovia won’t last forever, and I don’t want to look back and feel like I missed it because I was focused on somewhere else.

A moment that made this clear to me was our trip to San Sebastián. I had a lot of college-related things to deal with that weekend, and it made it difficult to enjoy where I was. I found myself distracted and not fully present, even though I was in such a beautiful place with people I genuinely enjoy being around. Eventually, I had to figure out how to balance both. I made time to take care of what I needed to do, but I also stepped away and focused on being with my friends, exploring, and actually taking in the moment. It wasn’t perfect, but it helped me feel grounded instead of completely overwhelmed.

This experience made me realize that being present isn’t always natural, especially when you feel pulled in different directions. It’s something you have to choose, even when it takes effort. Being in Segovia is teaching me that these moments are limited, and once they pass, there’s no way to go back.

If I had to give advice to future Segovia students, it would be to make the effort to enjoy each moment as it comes. Home will always be there, but this experience won’t. Learning how to be present is something I’m still working on, but it’s something I know I’ll carry with me after this program.

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