This is a story of how I lost my DJI Mini 3 Pro and found it against all odds and turned what could've been a nightmare into my most memorable adventure!

I wonder how many have flown a drone, lost it, and recovered it, against all odds? And recover it with hardly any external damage?!

I was very lucky because I got it back and was flying again within a week.

The DJI Mini 3 Pro is famed for its capability in the wind given its size but what it doesn't have is battery power. And I learned that the hard way.

I met a fellow drone-r who said he doesn't feel the same without his drone - I know how that feels! Flying a drone is addicting. It's also humbling. And so paradoxical - it gives you the freedom to fly like a bird but you also feel constricted by your anxiety, your fear, the elements, the type of drone you have etc. etc. etc.

If you haven't met an accident yet, then you haven't flown far and wide enough - I think I read that somewhere. Although that may not be true, it also seems crashing or losing a drone is pretty common.

When that happens, the last thing I want is to develop a fear of flying the drone again because I have always considered myself to be a photographer first and foremost and a drone is just another camera that I should be able to use.

So I am treating this experience as a life lesson to learn from - experiencing something firsthand - even an accident - teaches you more lessons than just reading about it or watching it in video tutorials.

Some of the lessons learned:
1. Situational awareness - as I've said in the video, I was just watching The Drone Creative's explanation for the cause of most drone accidents, which is a lack of situational awareness. This is exactly what happened to me, ironically.

2. Be even more conservative as far as drone battery power is concerned - especially in windy conditions.

3. Don't fly alone if possible - a spotter or minder is always good to have around.

4. Review your flight plan every time just before you fly - this way, you maximize your flight time and assess changing conditions.

5. If possible, have a plan for emergency landing

6. Several smaller-capacity micro-SD cards are better than 1 big-sized card - had I lost my drone, I would've also lost all the other footage with it that I haven't yet downloaded.

7. If you only have 1 card, download as much files as you can to preserve them.

8. Relax - you'll enjoy the experience better!

Flying a drone will always be part of my travels and I hope to be able to create many more memorable experiences with it, hopefully, all of them happy ones.