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🎄
Linley’s Gotcha Day was September 9th, but we couldn’t properly celebrate with him until the 16th because he was quarantined with kennel cough. We’d wanted to get him on the Pooch Pontoon for his actual Gotcha Day, but postponed by a week instead. And boy was it fun!
A woman about an hour north of us lives on Lake Lanier, and she started her own business called Best Friends on the Lake. Her business is made for dogs who want to celebrate special occasions (like gotcha days or birthdays), and she even offers free rides for dogs in shelters or hospice care. Candace was truly a gem and was so loving; I could see why she would create a retirement business like this!
We met her at a boat launch on the lake, and saw her Pooch Pontoon covered in decorations for Linley! We then hopped in and rode to a private beach so Linley could play and run around for a while.
On the island were a couple beaches but also a forest area. Lin loved being off-leash and leading the way on the trail to the bigger beach! I was cute seeing him so happy and free.
Linley led the way again as we headed back to the Pooch Pontoon. Candace had some fun things set up for us, including a gotcha day treat, some props for photos and some artwork Lin could make by licking peanut butter. Although his art skills are probably at a D-, the afternoon was an A+!
The day had flown by way too fast, but it was time for us to head back to the boat launch. We snapped some more photos, talked with Candace about some of her favorite boat rides and history of the lake, and snagged some quotes on cards with her heavenly pups, too.
We will definitely be back, and the experience Candace created for us – and that she creates for other pups – was nothing short of amazing!
Media taken Tuesday, September 16 on Lake Lanier!
Linley has been my best friend for eight years, Alex’s best friend for two years, and we think he’s ~11 years old as of yesterday.
Although we couldn’t celebrate as hard as we’d like (Linley is on the tail end of kennel cough!), we had a wonderful day, made it extra special for Linley, and can’t wait to celebrate our little guy all month long!
Linley, we love you!!! 💛
Media taken on Tuesday, September 9 for Linley’s Gotcha Day!
Have you ever had those days where you never want it to end? Where everything is perfect and almost dream-like? That’s how Sunday was for me. Our friends Ariel and Pardon – along with their sweet pup, Tater – joined our family of three for a day full of hiking along Sweetwater Creek in the Atlanta area. Although Linley and I enjoy hiking very much, we haven’t done too much of it since moving down here — and it felt great to hit some new trails with Alex and our close friends!
After some epic hiking, we went back to Ariel’s and Pardon’s place for some delicious espresso martinis (my new favorite!). We kept the afternoon going at our favorite spot for brunch/lunch and dinner, where Linley continued to soak up the sunshine.
I look forward to many more days like this — full of laughter, smiles, good views, great conversation and nice weather.
Photos taken Sunday, March 3, 2024.
Linley is always my best friend, but lately he hasn’t been my “little white shadow!” When we moved back in with my parents in September, I knew he’d be sharing his love between my mom, dad and me; however, I’ve missed his and my bonding time that we had so much of in Chicago.
My parents left for Florida on Monday and return today, as they always do between the holidays. Linley was back at my side 24/7, and we had quite the fun and relaxing week full of snuggles! I even took him into the office and through Starbucks for a much-needed pup cup this week, where he made a new friend Sugar.
We’re super pumped to see my parents later this afternoon, but I’ll miss this little guy right at my side.
Media taken December 27 through December 30, 2022.
Yesterday evening we ventured over to the AIDS Garden Chicago, memorializing the HIV epidemic and honoring those who live with the disease today.
I hadn’t had a good cry in a while, until yesterday. I’ve been putting a smile on for my new team at work, my neighbors, myself… and the tension I’d been feeling was building up to more I could handle.
Darkness covered us as we enjoyed some cheese and crackers along Lake Michigan when Juan started talking about all our good times together. Knowing that we may not have more of those times together broke me in ways I couldn’t imagine possible—and I just cried. Cried so hard and didn’t have any support from him—not even a hug. I was angry and hurt and scared and alone… until Linley comforted me. He sat right next to me and gave me a hug (yes, my small dog can give hugs!). I made me laugh so hard, and even during one of the saddest moments I’ve had in quite some time, he gave me hope that things will be okay—even if they aren’t right now.
When people say things like “animals don’t have feelings” or “animals aren’t that smart,” I wholeheartedly disagree. I was never allowed to have a dog growing up, but I’ve had my fair share of rodents, and even those little critters had personalities! But Lin is different. He’s the most intuitive fella I know. Others (Airbnb hosts, my friends, complete strangers…) even say that he knows me so well, that we’re a good pair. Even as I type this as I sit at my desk, this is how close he is:
I don’t know a better way to channel my love – and receive it – than being with this guy 💛
Media taken Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4, 2022
…try saying that five times fast! 😂
Linley makes friends wherever he goes, is content being lazy inside or exploring outside, and loves life in all its simplicity.
I thoroughly enjoyed my Memorial Day weekend with this little guy—and am looking forward to more summer adventures together!
Media taken May 27-June 1, 2022
Something that always brought Linley and me joy was hanging out at the dog park. We’re a 45-minute walk to the dog beach (which really takes over an hour with all the times Lin has to mark his territory) and about a 20-minute walk from our local dog park here in Chicago. It’s great to be close to a dog park, but boy do we miss our old one in Troy, Michigan!
The Daisy Knight Dog Park felt like such a sense of community for both Linley and me: long-lasting conversations with strangers-turned-friends and their dogs, Linley getting all the love from neighborhood kids and other dogs… but here feels so different. The past two times we’ve went to the dog park here, we haven’t really been welcomed. Granted, there are a few nice people who say hi and make small talk, but overall it doesn’t bring the same welcomeness that I’ve/we’ve felt in the past.
But Linley and I remain persistent and positive! We always make the most of it, arrive and leave with smiles on our faces, and enjoy the quality time we have on our long walks together.
Once my car’s back from the shop (TBD), hopefully we can hit the beach instead 😉
Photos taken Thursday, May 26, 2022
First and foremost: thank you to those who read my latest post and left beautiful, compassionate comments. Opening up about my mental health was scary and messy and awkward—but incredibly necessary.
It’s increasingly difficult to remain positive during personal and circumstantial times like these: yesterday’s horrific school shooting in Texas, my closest friends suffering from burnout and depression—while I’m trying to be there, suffering the same sorts of feelings, my car had to be towed a couple nights ago, leaving Juan, Linley and I stranded and taking a Lyft back home, family-related anxiety, work ramping up… But I do want to focus on the positives while acknowledging the heartaches.
Last Thursday, my friend Andrea and I took Linley on a four-mile stroll along Chicago’s infamous Riverwalk. He absolutely loves it, as do we. We spent a few hours walking, talking, laughing and ended our time together with some much-needed gelato and ice cold water.
Last Friday, I took Linley to our local dog beach (clearly our favorite spot!) and we had a great time. Lin was playing in the sand bar, pulling on his leash, whining and “talking” with the other pups… it was such a great afternoon! But the rain suddenly approached the beach—creating swirls in the water and the temperature to suddenly drop by 20° at least. Between Lin grabbing leaves from the lake and the rain on our way to the car, he was soaked!
In no way is this intended to minimize what’s going on in the United States, my friends’ lives, my life… but rather a reminder that there is hope and that I always need to find light in the darkness. 🤍
Media taken Thursday, May 19 and Friday, May 20, 2022
Spending so much time outdoors last week made me exponentially happier 💛
Linley and I spent five days at the dog beach, including one morning at sunset. We also met some new neighbors on our block – both human and dog! – and enjoyed some lemonade stands along our afternoon walks. These kids are gets salespeople around here! Chasing Lin at the beach and watching him play with other dogs and kids was incredibly heartwarming—and exactly what I needed 🙂
Here are several photos and videos from our week:
If I could live anywhere (in Michigan, that is!), I would hands-down live in Ann Arbor. Not only is this trendy college town known for the University of Michigan, but there’s a special charm here that’s unforgettable.
Juan, Linley and I were supposed to wake up at 6:30am yesterday morning and head four hours north to Traverse City; I wanted to see all the fall colors near Lake Michigan and go on some epic hikes. Our plans abruptly changed as we discovered that it would be rainy all day, and because Juan pulled an all-nighter on Friday. I decided that we would all spend the day at the University of Michigan Nichols Arboretum instead. I’ve never been but am thankful we visited yesterday.
We all soaked up the fall foliage, miles of hiking and the crisp, autumn air. This goes without saying, but I think Linley enjoyed himself the most 🙂
Photos taken Saturday, October 17, 2020
Three years ago today, three-year-old Linley was dropped off at my parent’s house. After a rigorous adoption application process consisting of filling out a packet and researching animal health problems, multiple reference calls, a meet-and-greet and a final home inspection, Linley instantly became my best friend!
I’ll be spending all day with our beloved pup, but I wanted to share some past photos and posts in the meantime 🙂
https://michiganianabroad.wordpress.com/2019/07/14/going-places-with-your-pup/
https://michiganianabroad.wordpress.com/2020/01/02/everyday-resolutions/
https://michiganianabroad.wordpress.com/2020/01/28/my-dorky-dog/
https://michiganianabroad.wordpress.com/2020/05/28/lake-michigan-with-mom-and-linley/
https://michiganianabroad.wordpress.com/2020/06/20/petoskey-michigan-with-the-pup/
https://michiganianabroad.wordpress.com/2020/08/18/munising-falls-michigan/
https://michiganianabroad.wordpress.com/2020/08/24/back-to-the-beach/
Traveling with the Traceys 