Amanda Carrasco

I have been so blessed to be able to travel as much as I have. There are still so many placed I have not gone and want to go, as well as many I want to go back to. A few weeks ago I got to spend some time with someone I highly respect named Bob Goff and he spoke about being where your feet are.

For many who have suffered trauma, it has been a necessary life skill to learn how to be in another place in your mind, as far away from where your feet are as possible. This also happens when I am preoccupied with other things. Sometimes this is not bad because I have a lot of things on the go and I need to remember deadlines or projects, but it has been too common that I have not been where my feet are when I could or should have been.

This skill is something I am taking to heart and practicing being intentional about. There is an aspect of my job that requires me to be on call 24/7 but even still I am leaning more on my team so that my phone can be off when I am doing schoolwork or spending time with my kids. You can call during our family game night but I will likely have to get back to you.

Sometimes I consciously think in my head, “what is in this moment that I need to get out of it?” I am finding a lot of peace in that. I have always been a destination person. I don’t like to stop on road trips or ‘enjoy the journey’ if you will and I think in many ways that won’t significantly change because I am a goal-driven person but there is a balance. There are things to experience on the way and I am finding ways to not miss those but also to not get off track.

The future looks so bright and I can not wait to get there, but it will not come one second sooner than it will so right now I am discovering what is here in the now. I can’t wait to be done course work but I found myself in a course I really love (finally haha). I am actually reading all of the textbook for that class instead of skimming to find the answers. I’m not saying I will do that for all courses but I am happy I can do that for this one. I’m going to get as much out of it that I can while still counting the days until there are no more assignments due.

There are still lots of times things go wrong or life is just plowing me with lemons but I will either find or make peace in the chaos. I will play my piano. I will go to the gym. I will cuddle my youngers or listen to my olders share what is important to them. I will let the sunshine fall on my face and soak through to my soul. I will surf the waves and ride them as far as I can, sometimes falling, but every time getting back up on my board.