Hope it's Getting Some Use

A little over a month ago (the day after the Pounders Roundup, to be exact), our place in Laie got broken into and a whooooole lotta expensive and very valuable electronics belonging to both me and my roommate were stolen (probably close to $15,000 worth!). Ipads, iPods, stereo systems, expensive camera setups and more.

Among the goods the kook(s) made off with was my GoPro and Knekt trigger. My "3rd child," as my kids like to call it, was a huge part of my life and a tool I used to capture and share joy, for myself and for others, on almost a daily basis. Man it stinks being robbed! Not only do you have to deal with the inconvenience and disruption of missing highly valuable items, but your sense of peace takes a hit and it leaves you unsettled and on edge, in the very environment you should feel most at peace. Please kids, don't steal, and if you see someone stealing, crack 'em upside the head!

Still, trying to think of the positives, it is just stuff and I'm grateful my children and I weren't harmed in the incident. Things can be replaced, people can't. Not having that GoPro has been an unexpected blessing lately, however, as it has allowed me to spend time in the water almost daily without a camera, which has allowed our time to be more focused, rich and rewarding.

This experience has also forced me to focus on getting reacquainted with and learning to better use tools that I do have, such as my phone (ugh) and the access I have to my girlfriend's DSLR camera (so thankful!). I've been using the latter a lot this past month and although I'm saving up and itching to get back in the water with a GoPro ASAP, working on honing DSLR skills like I used to with my old Nikon DSLR (which was also stolen, oddly enough) has been good for my progression as a photographer.

If you haven't been following my Instagram or Facebook accounts, here are some of my favorite from-land captures of late!