During our family vacation in New York, Alex’s cousin Matt texted us with very exciting news: he was going to propose to his girlfriend, Laura! I never met Matt but was so excited and honored that he told us. He also asked if I wanted to photograph the moment, and I obviously – and excitedly – said yes. While Matt didn’t propose to me, I feel like my being asked to photograph the big moment was just as big as him asking Laura to be his wife 🤣
Here are some moments I captured:
Matt asking me to take a photo of them on the dock, to which I obviously said, “sure thing!”Waving to the neighbor who cheered!A quick photo before giving them privacy…
Congratulations to the newly engaged couple!
Photos taken Monday, July 6, 2026 at the family rental home in Clayton, New York. 🥂
Fun fact: I’ve wanted to become a Canadian citizen since 2011. I’ve been so serious about it that I even spoke with an immigration lawyer in 2022 about my options.
Toronto has always been one of my favorite cities, along with Montreal. When Alex and I visited Vancouver together in 2023, I fell in love with him AND the city. While Linley and I had never been to Canada together until this month, Linley was finally over the border!!! 🇨🇦
Next summer we plan on visiting Montreal together as a family; I want to take Linley and Alex to a European-like place so we can wear matching French berets together and indulge in gluten free croissants…
Until then, if you’re reading this Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry (and I know that you are): PLEASE TAKE US WITH YOU!!! 🙏😭🤣
Linley napping after a restaurant hostess gave him a free toy to play with, and keep!Had to take photos with Paul and Dani, too!
After visiting friends in Virginia, we headed to Clayton, New York for the annual Tracey/Viglucci/Yuhas family trip. Alex, Linley and I couldn’t attend last year because we took two weeks off work for our honeymoon, but it was great to be part of the family trip for my second time.
In 2024, us three had a whole extra home to ourselves; this year, we shared with more family members because over 20 of us made the trip this time! We were greeted with a surprise on our bedroom door, hugs from family, and sunshine on Washington Island. It felt so good to be back.
We didn’t see the baby swan we saw two years ago (aka: the Baby Lin swan!), but it’s probably because he’s all grown up now. But we did see our two favorite swans swimming around the island.
After getting settled in, we wanted to head into downtown Clayton for some ice cream, long walks on the waterfront and a nice dinner at Channelside. It felt like yesterday since we were back, and the views, kindness and comfort were just as memorable as last time. Linley was the talk of the town as we strolled around before dinner, and even got attention (and free food!) during our meal.
Cheers!
After dinner, we enjoyed a cozy night in so we could grab coffee in town again the next morning. Linley wanted some of Alex’s breakfast sandwich, and was lucky enough to get some while we chatted with Aunt Maryann.
I miss Clayton already, and will share more posts from our lovely time there. 💛
Media taken Sunday, July 5 – Monday, July 6, 2026 in Clayton, New York.
We started our east coast drive on Friday, July 3. Of course, we had to stop in Virginia to see the Corrigan family! We wanted a chill Friday night after a 10+ hour drive; however, Alex ran over a nail and had to get it fixed once we got to our AirBnB. We grabbed food at a restaurant within walking distance from where we stayed, turned on Love Island, and quickly went to bed.
Start of our roadtrip
On the Fourth, we had a great day with my best friend, Carolyn. Carolyn and her husband Ryan have been integral parts of my life for the past 12 years. I’m close with both of them, their families and their family now that they have two daughters and three fur babies. I wouldn’t have gotten through some of my darkest times if it weren’t for Carolyn’s love, support and humor – so seeing her again recently was wonderful.
We spent the entire day at their home in Leesburg. We enjoyed breakfast and lunch before Ryan went to work, enjoyed time with the girls and Sully, and we laughed throughout the entire day. While Carolyn’s and my quality time isn’t the girls trips and travels like we used to have, I value that we’ve brought each other into our lives as much as we have with over this decade worth of friendship.
Linley and SullyWatching the “fireworks” in the neighborhoodLinley does well with the sounds of he can actually see what’s going on 🙂
Before leaving Virginia, we wanted to check out Georgetown’s waterfront while we were in the area. Linley was a smiley boy and we loved strolling through the cobblestone streets.
…and then we were on the road again!
Photos taken Friday, July 3 – Sunday, July 5, 2026.
I can’t put into words how grateful I am to be living in a city that hosted the World Cup. Not only did Alex and I have the amazing opportunity to go to a game, but we enjoyed watch parties throughout the city with our closest friends.
From seeing our wonderful Mayor Andre Dickens speak in Old Fourth Ward Park (where Alex and I got married last year), to cheering for Spain in a crowd of Saudi fans at the Mercedes Benz stadium, and watching the final game with our besties, it was an incredible month here in Atlanta. I’m already grieving! I’m so proud of my city, my friends and my chosen family for making this such a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Thank you, ATL, for being a great host city for the World Cup!
Watch party for the first US game in our neighborhoodEnjoying the Spain-Saudi game with one of our best friends and his dad on Father’s Day
Watching Mexico win with friends
Watching the US win another gameFun after the third place gameEnjoyed seeing Spain win with our closest friends
My next post was supposed to be about the amazing weekend we’d be having with Ellie, and how another Thing 1 & Thing 2 puppy party was taking place. But the truth is we lost sweet Ellie last night before we could see each other again, and we’re completely devastated. 🌈
Ellie will always be Linley’s best friend and our sweet girl. She was Lin’s partner in crime, and her smile and strut turned the heads of many neighbors and friends of my pawrents. And she’s one of the only pups Linley was willing to share anything with, including me on morning walks and his favorite snuggle spot on the couch.
We always made Ellie and Linley take silly photos together, and I’m so grateful we did. We all shared so many memories together and our shenanigans during sleepovers and holidays are moments we’ll never forget.
We’ve been emotional because we wish Ellie were here with us this weekend. I’ll never forget all the weekends and holidays we shared. I know Ellie is bumping into other dogs up there and is zooming toward all the good food with her tongue out.
Foreign exchange and study abroad programs have changed my life, even since before I was born. In the 80s, my grandparents wanted to host a foreign exchange student so my mom and uncle could experience a new culture right at home. They welcomed Kjell into their family, and I finally got to meet him in person in 2016 (our photo together was taken in 2022 during my second visit).
When I was in high school, I met Saskia, who was a foreign exchange student from Germany, and instantly became my best friend. 15 years later, she’s still my bestie and I can’t wait to see her get married in Germany this October! Here we are also pictured in 2022.
Speaking of weddings, I can’t forget to post about Carolyn! Carolyn and I were roommates when we studied in France, and we’re from completely different walks of life. She’s been my best friend for 12 years now, and I’ve seen her get married (I was even her MoH!), seen her have two daughters… I can’t wait to see her next month!
My grandparent’s openness toward other cultures and people encouraged mine, and that’s something I wish I could thank my grandpa for today. 🥹
Nervous about hosting a foreign exchange student? Do it anyway! It can benefit you for generations, like it has with my family. Nervous about taking the trip? Go anyway! You never know who you’ll meet; it could be a bestie for 12 or 15 years, like the two that I have!
It’s hard to believe that we returned from one of my favorite places over a week ago. Asheville, North Carolina has been such a special place for me ever since I first volunteered there in 2015. Asheville is where I’ve had some of my best hikes, have met some of my closest friends and even considered it to be a potential home.
Last weekend Alex, two of our best friends, Linley and I all headed to the mountains for what was supposed to be a weekend full on sunshine, hiking and outdoor time. Instead, we got rained on 95% of the time and had to deal with that during most of our hikes. We still made the most of it and it was fun to get away for a long weekend.
We hiked some new spots, some of my previous favorites (including Cedar Mountain, which I wrote about in my latest post!) and enjoyed quality time together. We even ate at a newer place downtown called Posanas, where Linley got to enjoy his own doggie dinner, too!
Rain or sun, I would highly recommend heading to Asheville for your next mountain getaway! I can’t wait to go again.
We all do it: we compare ourselves to others, we compare present day to the past… it’s human. And last weekend I couldn’t help but compare where I’m at now vs. where I was at in 2022.
Linley and me hiking in Asheville (2022)
On my trip back at Chicago from Asheville in 2022, Linley was by my side through some hard times. One of my best friends called me on my drive to tell me that she was expecting her first child, meanwhile I was telling her that a divorce was in my foreseeable future. I was so excited for all my close friends going through such amazing milestones in their lives, meanwhile I was at the loneliest point in my marriage and physical location of Chicago.
Linley, Alex and me hiking at the same spot in 2026
Last weekend I took Alex and some of our friends to the same spot Linley and I enjoyed four years ago. Although it was rainy, we made the most of it. And it’s really similar to my life right now: it’s a literal and metaphorical rainy season, but I’m making the most of every moment and am enjoying the rain as it comes.
To think in 2022 I was struggling in my family dynamics, certain friendships, my marriage, location and career. Now my biggest worry is that I won’t be able to make it as a solopreneur, but have never felt more loved and supported.
Photos taken in 2022 and 2026 in Asheville, North Carolina
In 2017 when I first rescued Linley, I knew I wanted to sign him up for training. Lin wasn’t a bad dog by any means, but he had a lot of anxiety and abandonment issues prior to finding his way to my heart. Plus I figured it’d be great bonding for us, because he was still figuring me out.
Linley on graduation day in 2018
Proud boy
On Christmas last year, I wanted to do something special for Alex and Linley to give them the same experience. The founder of Linley’s dog hiking group, Two Chicks and a Pack, recommended Megan at Primed Instincts for dog agility training here in Atlanta. I signed the boys up right away, and they had the best time together!
And here’s some videos if you want to see the guys in action:
I was lucky enough to watch the last two weeks of the agility trainings, and seeing my two favorite fellas always melts my heart! It was cute to see Linley smiling through all the obstacles, and he’d get so serious when following Alex for a treat. And it was awesome to see Alex so serious too; it was like they were both in “work mode.”
Even an 11-year-old dog can learn new tricks, so never sell yourself short 😉
Media taken Sunday, May 3, 2026 at Walker Park in Atlanta, GA
Alex’s birthday was Saturday, and we had a great time in the mountains of North Georgia! We started our morning with a hike on Blood Mountain where we had stunning views all around us. It was a nice spot to rest, and we even saw a blue lizard scurry nearby.
After our hike, we grabbed lunch at a local spot in downtown Dahlonega that we love so much. We sat outside, enjoyed some sweet tea and seafood, and Linley got even more attention than our birthday boy.
After realizing that Linley had a tick on him in the car (we’re all good, thank goodness!), we enjoyed more stunning views at a winery Alex loves. I’m doing an alcohol-free year but I enjoyed a Sprite while Alex enjoyed a glass of red wine. All three of us were basking in the sun and enjoying the moment together.
Before we knew it, it was time to head home. We look forward to next time!
Today I voted for a community that accepts me – and has always accepted me – more than my own family has.
Today I voted for immigrants; ALL immigrants.
Today I voted for people who don’t look like me.
Today I voted for the ones who are working hard but don’t have enough free time or money in their bank accounts to show for it.
Today I voted for Mother Earth and everyone living here.
Today I voted for vaccine health.
Today I voted for peace, transparency and positive action.
Today I voted for democracy.
Are you voting for yourself, or are you taking your neighbors into consideration, too? Let’s think about ALL people when we vote, or else we’ll end up in a similar situation again…
We may not be able to fully reverse what’s been happening since orange man, but we can take action and vote. One person can’t do everything but everyone can do something.
Traveling with the Traceys 