There is more to life than work.

Last night, I dropped my son off for an appointment and had 45 minutes to sit in the car and get work done on my phone.

It had been a very unproductive day thus far and I was way behind.

However, as I looked out my car window and saw golden light bathing the nearby buildings, my heart decided on a different plan.

Rather than tap tap tapping away at my phone, I took a quick drive to the ocean.

Rather than sending emails, I entered my Zen space.

For 30 blissful minutes, I traversed the Capitola shoreline … photographing everything I saw.

The world melted away as I searched for the perfect angles, the biggest driftwood piles, and the best ways to frame my photos.

Finally, as the sky turn from dark blue to black, I hopped in my car and made it back just as Bodhi’s appointment came to an end.

I may not have gotten any work done …

But, I sure did have fun!

My heart and soul are certainly glad I made that decision.

Now, it’s time for Santa Cruz County to rebuild!

The Capitola Wharf was destroyed by waves!

Before the storm, tourists and Santa Cruz residents alike would enjoy a stroll along the Capitola Wharf. Despite being only 855 feet in length, the pier was rarely crowded, leaving plenty of privacy for a peaceful stroll or picnic lunch on one of the wooden benches.

That was then.

Now, there’s a huge gap in the wharf. Railings and boards are missing. The damage will cost millions of dollars to repair … and, it may be more than a year before it’s open to the public.

A few days before my sunset expedition to the beach, I visited a scenic overlook with my wife and kids to check out the damage. Looking back at these photos, what surprised me most was the lack of driftwood on the Capitola Beach. That means everything you see in the beach photos happened 5 days AFTER the Capitola Wharf was destroyed.

Photos of the Capitola Beach Damage in January, 2023