Proctor en Segovia students recently traveled north to the Basque Country for their second long excursion of the term, with stops in San Sebastián, Bilbao, Biarritz (France), and a hike along one of the Camino del Santiago routes (Camino del Norte). Through a second extended trip away from host families and the rhythm of life in Segovia, the learning that occurs while studying abroad begins to manifest in different ways – language is tested in unfamiliar contexts, comfort zones are stretched in new ways, and the long view of a term abroad comes into focus. Reflections from Mia '26, Burke '26, Isaac '27, Miles '27, and Gus '27 follow.
Staying Present in San Sebastián
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.
Hitting a Language Barrier in France
Gus '27
While our trip to Saint Sebastián has definitely been my favorite excursion so far during this program, I think one of the most educational pieces of the trip for me was our short, half-day trip to Biarritz, France. A small, upper-class surf town in the French Basque Country, only about an hour drive from where we were staying in Saint Sebastian, Biarritz, it is an interesting mix of cultures and people. But the distinctly French scenery and culture, the beautiful coastline, or delicious food were not what really stuck with me after the visit. What stuck with me was the panicked feeling of being in a place where I couldn't communicate whatsoever.
I have spoken Spanish since kindergarten and am basically fluent at this point in my life, so visiting places like Costa Rica and Spain didn't really give me the complete experience of feeling like a true foreigner… France did. I had never been in a country where I didn't speak the language, and the experience of trying to communicate to the French lady at the market how I wanted my chicken packaged was frightening and a bit embarrassing to say the least. I, for the first time in a foreign country, felt like a complete idiot. But, I did get my "coquelet" as they called it—a whole, miniature, roast chicken—and felt more than a bit humbled by the experience as a whole. But overall, it was probably good for me as I will face this issue more if I continue to travel around the world.
Hike on the Camino del Norte
Burke '26
This weekend in San Sebastian was very beautiful. I've spent the last few minutes trying to think of one moment to look back and reflect on, and it has proven difficult! There were so many small but important things that stuck out. Because I have to choose only one, the hike on the Camino del Norte was a super fun and reflective moment. I have done loads of hiking before, but somehow this one felt different.
Knowing that my time in Spain is coming to an end, I felt this feeling that is tough to describe while looking over the ocean from the cliff. Once we got past the landslide, I sat down for a minute or two to rest. I looked back over the past 4 weeks, over every excursion, trip, train ride, and meal. Instead of feeling sad that the trip was drawing to a close, I felt that I had accomplished everything I came here to do. I realized how far my Spanish has come from when I first arrived. I saw how much I have come to love Luján, and how comfortable I have become in this new place. Hearing the sound of the waves hundreds of feet below me as the sweat pooled on my back, I knew that I would not be leaving Spain feeling like I had left anything on the table. In the end, that was my goal in the first place. When I graduate from Proctor, I don't want to be thinking of all the things I wished I would have done. This all hit me as I stood on that cliff.
Isaac '27
This past week, the group visited the northern region of Spain, called the Basque Country. This was a phenomenal experience, and the best part was that leading up to the excursion, the forecast predicted mild temperatures and rain almost every single day. However, that was not the case; thankfully, the Spanish weather channel lied to us, and the weather was beautiful with only a few showers.
The most memorable part of the trip was a hike we did along a route called the Camino de Norte. This was definitely the most beautiful hike that I have ever been on. For the entirety of the hike, we had an amazing view of the Bay of Biscay. The hike in total took us a little over two hours, which I didn’t mind; however, I can’t say the same for some of the others in the group.
When we arrived back at the hostel, we had free time, so I went to the beach, which was only a two-minute walk from where we were staying. What made this beach so amazing was the fact that it was one of the nicest beaches I have ever been to, and there was hardly anyone there, even on a Saturday afternoon. This excursion has definitely been a highlight of the trip and my life. That is something that has made this term abroad so amazing. Not only are you studying thousands of miles away from your home, but you also get to travel in another country. This has been an unbelievable adventure and something that I will never forget.
Sitting with the Unfamiliar at the Guggenheim Bilbao
Miles '27
When we went to the Gugenhim in Bilbao, I did not realize until we arrived that it was a modern art museum. When I found out, it made me even more excited. Most of the museums I have visited before were historical museums or museums with more traditional artwork, so I was interested in seeing something completely different. I believe that I had pretty high expectations before going into it.
The museum, from the outside, looked unlike anything I had seen before. Its architecture was bold and unusual, and it almost looked more like a sculpture than a building. Outside, there was also a huge spider sculpture and a few other sculptures that I could not fully identify, but that completely had my attention. Even before going inside, I could tell that the museum was asking me to look at art differently.
After Isaac gave his presentation about the museum, we headed inside, and that is where my comfort zone began to resist a little. We walked through different rooms, and I had a difficult time understanding many of the pieces. I approached it with an open mind, but there were many instances where I was having a difficult time conceptualizing some of the pieces. I read the labels next to the artwork, looked at many pieces from different angles, and tried to imagine what the artist might have been thinking. Still, much of the art was hard for me to connect with.
Examples of the pieces included leaves hanging from strings, a huge mound of dirt on a slope, patches of grass, and much more. I didn't feel I was picking up on the artist's purpose, so I had limited context for interpreting the work. One room had mirrors on all four sides with colorful lightbulbs hanging down. It was interesting and visually engaging, but I still found myself wondering why it belonged in a museum.
My mind was not used to thinking about art in that way, and this experience further stretched my comfort zone because it forced me to stop relying on the kind of art I already knew how to interpret. My best analysis at the time was that maybe confusion was part of the experience. By the end of our time there, our group talked about the museum, and many of us felt similarly. We agreed that it was interesting to see, but also very different from what we were used to seeing. This conversation helped me come to the consensus that being pushed out of my comfort zone doesn't always mean my opinion has to change, but that it means being able to sit with something unfamiliar. The art I saw still feels unfamiliar and outside of my comfort zone, and I think that my comfort zone resisted stretching at first, but I am glad I was able to recognize this discomfort instead of ignoring it.
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