Do you ever have those weekends where you wish every weekend were like that? That’s how I felt on Friday the 13th (a holiday I love to celebrate), Valentine’s Day (a day a hardly celebrate) and the day after.
I’m grateful that I’m starting to feel at home in Atlanta again, that I finally have a truer sense of community and that I’m continuing to meet new people, try new things and experience true joy.
Dinner with Devin, Colin and AlexAlex’s first time at Build a BearOur new stuffies!Linley thinking the stuffie was hisLinley’s sweet bandanaThe Alex’s cheering with sakeTwinning at the burlesque showLinley watching himself get groomedLin sleeping with one of his actual stuffies
I also had a lovely dinner with a dear friend, coffee with another friend and her daughter, a fun Lunar New Year concert with Alex and a great dance class this week. Although I love staying busy, I’m excited for a lazy weekend!
Media taken Friday, March 13 – Sunday, March 15, 2026 🧧
Today was Lau Lau’s service. Lots of tears were shed, laughs were had and hugs were given. It was a beautiful, sunny day here in Georgia and it was evident how loved Lau Lau and the entire Tracey/Shu family are. 💛
Uncle Ray taking Linley to visit Lau Lau last year
Although today was beautiful but sad, yesterday was full of love at a local bakery who hosted Linley’s and my first Atlanta Dog Mom Social Club event. I saw their sign on a family walk around the holidays, and I’m so glad I found them. The fact that there are other dog moms who love their dogs as much as I do is really special! And of course sharing these memories with Linley means the world to me. 🫶
Before we both moved to Atlanta, it used to be Linley and me against the world. So although we missed Alex, having these solo bonding moments with Lin brings me back to the times it was just us two. We’re two peas in a pod! 🫛
Linley loved all the attention, treats and fun that this event had to offer! He got a little overstimulated and hit a sugar crash about halfway through the event, but it was okay because I got to hold him while he fell asleep in my arms. 🥹 Lin was saying hi to every dog, owner and volunteer in hope for more treats and attention. He also tried really hard to find a girlfriend in time for Valentine’s Day, but he came on a little too strong, so looks like I’ll need to be his Valentine again this year. 😅
I haven’t been to Detroit since moving to Atlanta in 2023, and it felt great to be back! When I lived in Michigan, my parents seldom went to Detroit with me, and Alex had never been, making it extra special.
For my dad’s birthday, we went to a Red Wings hockey game and although they lost, we had a ton of fun. Little Caesars was as energetic and fun as I’d remembered, and the guys cheered with their Labatt beers before we found our seats. It was awesome to be there again.
As we marched back to the car, we had to stop in the cold and drop another Linley sticker!
As we headed north to Ferndale, it had secondhand admiration of Detroit’s architecture through Alex. He was so cute looking out the window, pointing out all the museums (including the Detroit Institute of Art) and other beautiful, historic buildings. Sometimes we take a place for granted until we see it through another’s eyes.
Near my old house is one of the best local, Detroit-style pizza places, and I knew this would be the perfect spot after a game. Como’s is a place I didn’t go to often, but every time I went it was special.
The rest of our evening was laid back and easygoing, just the way we all prefer it to be. Of course I had some flashbacks of my brother, my ex and former friends of mine, but luckily it didn’t dominate my time in Michigan. At times I wish things with my brother and former best friends were different, but I also know things happen for a reason, and I wouldn’t have ever met Alex or moved to Atlanta otherwise. I hope to return with Alex (and Linley next time!) so we can experience the beauty of Michigan in the summertime.
Media taken on Saturday, January 31, 2026 in Detroit & Ferndale, Michigan.
My family is complicated, and if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you probably already know that. But one thing that consistently awesome about my family – and something I always love – is our matching holiday pajamas.
Alex is newer to the tradition but it’s always great to see him embrace it as well. This year, Linley wasn’t able to be in Michigan with us, but my mom shipped a matching winter coat his way. We all love the movie Dodgeball, so we had to sport our “dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge” shirts; my mom even bought dodgeballs so we could take some goofy pictures with them!
Sometimes it’s the little things that I hold onto in my family, like these goofy photos, the thoughtful gesture or even visiting with my parents first thing in the morning.
Sometimes the little things can add up to a bigger thing, and I’m holding onto that wherever I can. 💙
Photos taken Friday, January 30 & Saturday, January 31, 2026 in Fenton, Michigan✨
Last Saturday, Alex and I felt like kids again while sledding up in Michigan. My parents still had some sleds and we headed to a hill I’d sled on as a kid all the time. My dad was so sweet to not only drive us there, but video us going down the hill!
I hadn’t went sledding in three or four years, and it’d been almost 20 years for Alex! We had a blast and it was so sweet to have these moments captured. I can’t wait for next time 🫶
And while we were sledding up in Michigan, Lin enjoyed some snow down here in Georgia!
Anyone who knows me knows what The Laundry means to me. It’s a restaurant in my small Michigan hometown and has been a meeting place between me and high school best friends, family and more. The drinks are amazing, the food is delicious and the dessert always feels like a warm hug. I’ve cried there, laughed there, laughed til I’ve cried there… it’s always been a happy place, even during hard times.
Last weekend, I was finally able to share this experience with Alex. And ironically enough, I was at The Laundry when I told my parents I was moving to Atlanta and that I’d be joining a dating app, which led me to Alex in the first place. In recent years, my Friday dinners with my parents got me through some pretty dark times, so being back with my husband for the first time was extremely special.
It was my dad’s birthday the day after, so the staff brought him out a candle (even when he didn’t want dessert!)
And although Linley wasn’t there with us in person, he was there in spirit (and was living it up with our aunt, uncle and his cousin, Ellie!)
Media taken Thursday, January 29-Saturday, January 31
Today has been a strange one: Alex’s grandmother passed, and it never snowed. I was so looking forward to visiting Lau Lau more and was looking forward to celebrating Chinese New Year with her next month. The last time I saw her was Christmas and I wish I’d spent more time with her — both then and in general.
And is not seeing snow in Atlanta a big deal today? No. But the snow always makes me think of Michigan, my former home, and always makes me think of fond memories there. I’m not close with family but I am close with my parents, so I’m inevitably missing them more today. The snow always brought us together, even when things were distant.
I miss Lau Lau already and wish I could’ve spent more time with her. I don’t have a relationship with my parent’s moms, and it was warming to have Lau Lau welcome me the way she did. And I miss my parents and I wish my relationship with them was less strained. I wish I didn’t feel guilt about distancing myself, both physically and emotionally, from family members who’ve repeatedly hurt me before. Maybe I wish they’d never have hurt me at all. I’m just thinking about family and the complexity of it so much today.
What I can control is my new immediate family: Alex and Linley. Together, we’re the Tracey Trio, and before that, it felt like Linley and me against the world.
In honor of this, I wanted to post some media in reverse chronological order, ranging from our big Atlanta snow storm last January, all the way to Linley’s first ever time seeing snow in 2017. Atlanta is our new home now, but home is wherever my heart is, and my heart is always whole with my two favorite guys. And although I’m not religious but am definitely spiritual, I know Lau Lau is with her husband again, and I hope her heart is full as well. 🥹
As we enter a new year, I can’t help but reflect on all the ups and downs of 2025. From starting a new job and quickly dreading it due to verbal abuse, planning a casual wedding, getting married and going on the honeymoon roadtrip of a lifetime, and everything in between… I’m extremely grateful for all the greatness this year has brought me.
2026 will be all about letting go, healing and being more open and willing to receive the universe’s gifts, as opposed to wanting to control everything (my schedule, others’ emotions, etc.) Spontaneity is the name of the game for 2026 (aka: the year of the fire horse!)
But until we get into 2026, here’s some of my favorite moments from December. I may not stick with monthly gratitude journaling going into this year, but I’m extremely thankful for the community I have built – and am slowly rebuilding – here in Atlanta.
Moments between Alex and LinleySpontaneous dinner with my friend, JessA blossoming friendship with Colin, Devin and Grayson
Seeing my two favorite pupsAdmiring the sunset with Alex
…and more moments like these!Our third annual Botanical Garden LightsGetting professional photos done with LinleyAnother Linley and llama tree!Linley and Ellie making the nice list this yearA gluten free baking class with AlexRunning into our neighbors at Ponce City MarketLinley going on more hikes with the pack!Taking Linley to the Delta office againOur second Cirque du Soleil show…getting tipsy and buying a toy for Linley at the Cirque show……and Cheeto having a front-row seat at the show!Linley’s clean bill of healthEnjoying our Chippy the Dog daily calendarGlass blowing with Janessa…and even more moments between Alex and Lin!
Strolling through a new part of the cityDinner with Amy and Danny
Sunny afternoon walksMaking a bûche du Noël cake with AlexOur third Christmas together…and Trizzie joining us this year!Comedy night with AlexLinley’s new friend and doppelgänger
Running around at the parkThe last comedy night at LimericksGrace’s and my first time at the Clermont Lounge!
Wishing Saskia a happy new year in GermanyOur last drink of 2025Happy new year!!!
Yesterday was probably the best Christmas I’ve ever had. I used to love my family get-togethers before my estrangement took place, but holidays haven’t been spent with my biological family since 2018 or 2019. As much as I miss spending time with my parents, Alex and I will be seeing them next month, and that dedicated quality time will mean so much to me.
I was tossing and turning on Christmas Eve night into Christmas Day, and Alex let his parents know that I was feeling anxious and emotional about my past. My first Christmas with his family in 2023 was nice but it doesn’t even compare to the love, support and ease I felt yesterday. I couldn’t be more thankful for that.
We visited Lau Lau (Alex’s grandma) for lunch with all the aunts and uncles and their families, then had quality time with Alex’s parents and brother on the Tracey side, followed by a lovely dinner at Aunt Susan’s and Uncle Ray’s house. Spending quality time with the cousins and our friend Trizzie was super fun, and it felt very much like the cousin time I’d had as a kid long ago. It was nice to feel young again, and I haven’t felt that way on Christmas in probably almost twenty years.
I couldn’t be more grateful for Alex, the love he has for Linley and me, his parents, and entire family for welcoming Lin and me with open arms. As my therapist always says: I deserve to feel safe and loved in every space, and I felt that way in spades yesterday. My father-in-law even turned to me, we clinked champagne glasses, and he told me how happy he was that I was there. And my mother-in-law told me that she looks forward to many more years of love and celebration to come.
My insomnia has significantly improved this week and I’m beyond grateful for that! The irony is that I’m up now, just past 1:30am my time, but it’s mainly due to sleeping off a migraine I had yesterday evening. I hope I can get some sleep shortly, but since I’m here, I wanted to write about when I’m the happiest. I saw someone else write about this recently and loved the idea, so I’m jumping in…
I’m happiest when I feel at peace with the past. I’m happiest when Linley is snoring and sandwiched in bed between Alex and me (like right now!) I’m happiest when I have balance in my life. I’m happiest when I have conversations with thought-provoking and creative friends and strangers. I’m happiest when I feel like I truly belong in Alex’s family. I’m happiest when a difficult past memory is nothing more than a moment, not an hour or day or period of sorrow.
I’m happiest when I see Alex and Linley running on the beach together. I’m happiest when I don’t let what happened in my past give me anxiety about the future. I’m happiest when I’m on a roadtrip or on a flight, about to have a new adventure. I’m happiest when that adrenaline rush hits while I’m doing something fun! I’m happiest when I feel a true sense of community in family, work and life. I’m happiest when I can be outside with Alex and Linley. I’m happiest when I’m on or near the water. I’m happiest when the guilt and shame that can consume me sometimes is finally set free.
I’m happiest when I let go of trying to impress other people. I’m happiest when people respect my boundaries, including myself. I’m happiest when I have a good conversation with a friend after a long day. I’m happiest when I can make an impact, even if it’s a small. I’m happiest when a friend and I catch up, especially if time has passed, and we pick up right where we left off. I’m happiest when my inbox is empty. I’m happiest when I’m away from my phone (yes, I see the irony in this…)
And I’d say I’m happiest when I finally stop putting the weight of the world on my shoulders!
I look forward to taking steps to ensure 2026 is a much lighter year. I need to heal.
Wedding day!The Grand CanyonATL Pride! (October 2025)
Last Monday, Alex and I went to the Botanical Gardens at Piedmont Park for our third-annual viewing of the holiday lights—and trains! We love going every year and it makes for a great date night of seasonal cocktails, gorgeous lights and admiring how creative the staff is.
As soon as you walk in, you see these beautiful, silver birds that fly amongst the stars. Alex and I always venture to the main restaurant area for some holiday drinks before making our way through the greenhouse, larger garden where you can see the Atlanta skyline, and other tunnels of lights. This year we each got two: both were mezcal drinks, one being hot chocolate! We had to take an obligatory photo under one of my favorite tunnels.
Luckily, I’d just gotten a new phone and it was fun to snap some artsy shots of the trees, and of course my favorite lady of the park…
One of my favorite parts of this annual experience is watching Alex watch the trains (yes, you heard that correctly!) I don’t know how else to explain it, other than it’s cute to see little kids point at and admire the moving trains, and then you see 30-year-old Alex doing the same thing. It’s the best!
Last but certainly not least, we enjoyed the dangling lights that sync up to the annual playlist. This year’s playlist was more classical, but I of course captured Louis Armstrong’s debut.
It’s hard to describe unless you’re there, but this entire immersive experience is one of my favorite ways to celebrate the holidays here in Atlanta. All last week I kept telling Alex, “I had the best time and I’ve been thinking about it all day!”
Ellie is our aunt’s and uncle’s 15-year-old pup, and boy do I absolutely love her! She’s practically nocturnal, gets random zoomies late at night and early in the morning, and she snores so loud all day… but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love our weekends (aka: “puppy parties”) with her, and we can’t wait to get Thing 1 and Thing 2 reunited on Christmas!
Media taken Thursday, December 11 – Saturday December 13, 2025🎄
Traveling with the Traceys 