SAN ANTONIO — Smiling broadly, Alana Castaneda shared pictures of the amazing Arizona sandstone formation known as The Wave.
Eighteen months after being shot in the face during a carjacking attempt at the Quarry Market, Castaneda said she was relieved to be getting away from the stress of waiting for the trial of her attacker by escaping into nature.
Castaneda said being allowed to go to the highly restricted area, where there are few visitor permits, was the perfect cure for months of trauma.
Of the gunman, who tried and failed to steal her car but nearly took her life, Castaneda said "I'm glad that this monster is locked away where he belongs."
In July, the man accepted a plea deal and received a 45-year prison term. Castaneda said when the 20-year-old is finally eligible for parole, he will probably be in his mid-60s.
Praising the prosecutors who fought for justice for Castaneda and nine other victims who were also robbed, she said they helped her at every turn and even read her victim impact statement when she was too anxious to speak up in court.
“Ultimately it was up to the judge and he said 45 years and as soon as he said it there was like a weight lifted off my chest. I felt lighter instantly. I was hoping he would get the max sentence and he did,” Castaneda said.
"I have a peace of mind knowing he's not out there," Castaneda said, adding she is very excited to be hitting the reset button on her life.
Castaneda said after months of surgeries and therapy and worry, she can finally focus on re-building her life, with only one more surgery on the horizon, for now.
"And I'm not out of the woods yet. Like, I still have to endure these surgeries. I still have to heal," Castaneda said.
She said her eye socket is still painful, she hasn't been able to return to work and she has trouble driving but she is now committed to helping others.
"I feel that I'm a new person now. A stronger person. And if I could help somebody else out there, whatever they're going through, then I'd say everything that I did go through was worth it," Castaneda said.
She said she is convinced group trauma therapy helped save her and could help others too.
“I'd say it's okay to not feel okay and it's okay to ask for help because we kind of deal with this in our own way,” Castaneda said. “I've been part of this trauma group meeting every month and to hear other survivors and what they've been through. There's burn victims. There's people that have been in motorcycle accidents, brain injuries, everything, and how they all kind of come together is amazing.”
Castaneda said meeting with the group the night before she went to court was a blessing.
“All of them were just like, you've got this! Like, you just feel so alone, so I really needed that, the positive messages go a long way,” Castaneda said.
And she said family and friends matter the most.
“You have to mourn, but your loved ones are going to be there for you and so you have to trust them. I really do feel that in my recovery it made all the difference just having a laugh or know a friend brings like a smoothie or something, like those little things like helped me heal faster. So I'm a strong believer in that,” Castaneda said.
Life, she says, should always be savored.
“I'm just glad that he's not out there doing this to anyone else, because what I went through, who knows? The next person would have been dead," Castaneda said. "I mean, I was very, very close to dying. I was in that limbo between life and death and it completely changed my perspective on life and how precious life really is.”