Carolyn and I started as blind roommates in France, and we’ve been best friends ever since. Cheers to dozens and dozens more years of friendship and even more after that! 🥰
Happy birthday to my best friend! 💕
All that comes with family estrangement
TL;DR: Look up, get some sunshine, call a friend, spend time with ones you love when you’re feeling down. It may not take all the pain away, but you deserve some peace and you’re allowed to give yourself grace + feel your feelings as they come. ❤️🩹
Trigger warning TW: Family estrangement, verbal abuse.
Yesterday was a hard day and it’s been a hard week. Last Friday, a family member who I haven’t seen since 2018 and haven’t heard from since about a year ago reached out to me multiple times. When I heard from them a year ago, more hurtful things were said (again) and the worst part is that this happened during my honeymoon. They always know when to share things/reach out at the worst time.
Then Sunday rolls around and some triggers came up while my parents visited. Although my relationship is significantly better with them, they’re the only biological family I speak to. There will always be challenges and reminders that come with that…
And then yesterday, we had a virtual baby shower for a teammate at work who is having a second child (a boy). He has a daughter and he kept saying how excited he is that his soon-to-be younger son will have an older sister to look up to and learn from, because his older sisters are gifts to him. It’s just me and my brother and because I’m older and estranged, I felt immediate guilt, sadness, heaviness and also anger. Why didn’t he ever view me or our relationship as a gift, the way that I viewed him and our relationship? I don’t know. I may never know. But it hit so hard.
Whether you know me personally or have read my WordPress blog for a while, you may know the struggles I face with the grief vs. relief of it all.
I’ve been estranged from most family for nearly a decade now but never thought my brother’s and my bond would break. When things about sibling love are shared, or birthdays pass, or moments where I considered my brother to be my best friend fill my memory again, it’s extremely hard. If you’re struggling with the same thing or something parallel, just know that I see you, I understand you and all your complex, rollercoaster feelings are valid.
April Appreciation for Atlanta
Between 404 Day and now, it’s been a solid month here in Atlanta. We’ve explored new places, revisited some favorites and felt a sense of community with our neighbors (especially Amy because we got to watch her sweet girl, Larkin, this month!)
I look forward to what the rest of April and beyond has in store!
Sweetwater Creek + 404 Day
On Friday, I wasn’t feeling the best, but I knew a hike with Linley would help me sweat out my cold in addition to making my heart feel good. We revisited Sweetwater Creek State Park for some light hiking and beautiful views. My mom also had the day off, so we talked on the phone like the good ole days. And as usual, Linley got lots of attention and four young women were adoring him, so I gave them each a treat to give to Linley. He was in heaven!
Being with Linley always makes my day, especially when we can be outdoors together.
And yesterday’s 404 Day celebration in Atlanta was a ton of fun! We strolled through our favorite neighborhood in the city, watched Linley play at Piedmont Park, picked up some plants at Flora and Fauna, and enjoyed an afternoon in our own neighborhood.
I’ve been beating myself up all week about random sh*t, and honestly, I need to stop because I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Media taken Friday, April 3 & Saturday, April 4, 2026 in Atlanta, GA.
Rock Lobsters game in Athens
Alex took Linley and me to Athens, Georgia for our first visit yesterday! We walked around town and UGA’s campus before going to the game where Linley, and other dogs, were part of the main event. Everyone at the game and involved in the game were amazing and we’ll definitely be back for another fun day of hockey!
Linley was basically a celebrity and everyone was taking photos of AND with him all day! A woman we met at a brewery before the game even came up and said hello again. Seeing Linley love and get love back always melts my heart.
Alex signed Linley up for a race on the ice after the first period, and since Lin had been a daddy’s boy all day, I held Linley on the ice so he would run to Alex. However, Linley got cold paws, literally and figuratively, and didn’t want to leave my side! Although Lin didn’t win the race, he won in everyone’s hearts. Going backstage and on the ice was really cool (pun intended) for all three of us in the Tracey Trio!
Life is good and Linley was fast asleep in the stands and on the ride home.
Media taken Sunday, March 29, 2026 in Athens, Georgia 🦞
Loving spring in Atlanta 🌸
Don’t get me wrong: I love our roadtrips and weekends away. But there’s something extra special about being home in Atlanta this time of year. It’s not nearly as drastic as Michigan’s winter-to-spring transition, but laying out in the sun, listening to soul music in the park nearby is something I don’t take for granted here.
The last couple weekends have been so much fun, and I know this weekend will be no exception. We’ve even stayed busy during the week, because there’s no point in living for the weekend (in my humble opinion 😉).
Here’s some highlights that have brought me sheer enjoyment and smiles from ear to ear:
Enjoying some beautiful sunrises and sunsets
An afternoon with Linley
My first Atlanta United game of the season
Another fun dog mom social club event (and checking out a new trail!)
Painting Linley at Piedmont Park
Seeing Linley after his Two Chicks and a Pack hike
I can’t wait for more fun, but enjoying these moments has been exactly what I’ve needed!
Photography taken March 2026
I finally started my own business
You read that right! I started my own business. I’ve always wanted to help people outside of the “typical” business world, and I’m finally taking the plunge. I’m a certified professional coach (CPC) and TEFL-certified tutor, and want to help others find joy in life during and after a major life change. This can include divorce, relocation, career and more. I’ve been through so much in my life and I would love to continue helping others who are going through their own journeys.
Here’s the timeline of how things went:
- August – I started my professional coaching certification through the University of Georgia, because I’m tired of corporate and truly want to help others.
- December – I officially registered for and launched my LLC: Cate Tracey Coaching.
- January – I officially graduated from the certification program!
- February – My website was built, and made me appreciate UX and other web features even more.
- This month – I’m going all-in on social media and I’m trying to create better reach, page views and engagement overall.
My goal is to have my business full-time up-and-running before the end of this year. It’s an aggressive goal, but I’m aiming high so I can keep at my North Star. I have a few clients right now but I hope to grow this enough so I can do this full-time. This is the only career path I have ever been excited about, and to finally feel excited about my career and professional purpose feels incredibly inspiring.
And no: this blog will not become a professional coaching blog, but I did want to share this news with y’all. 🫶
Here’s where you can find me:
- Website: https://www.catetraceycoachingllc.com/
- LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catetracey
- LinkedIn company page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cate-tracey-coaching-llc?trk=profile-position
- Instagram: cate.tracey.coaching (yes, I now have an Instagram in addition to Linley’s 😅)
- Digital business card: https://blinq.me/pQncOiyPuUVl?bs=icl
I’m excited for this new chapter and have faith that it’s all going to work out. I can’t wait to help more people and continue to grow in this profession!
The Tracey Trio takes Florida (Pt. III)
It’s hard to believe it’s been two weeks since our Florida trip. I was on the phone with a friend on Sunday and we agree that it’s such a blessing to have “time fly by when you’re having fun.” My loneliest year in Chicago felt like five, depressing, agonizing years—and my time here in Atlanta has felt like six months tops! There’s something about knowing who you are, being with the right people and feeling “at home with yourself” that has made my post-Midwestern years feel like they’re moving a million miles a minute.
I miss Linley stretching his head out the window to hear the ocean waves, feel the sea breeze and simply take it all in. We’re lucky that he’s such a good boy in the car, and he always found the sunshine no matter what…
In Atlanta, we live near Ponce City Market, and near a street named Ponce de Leon Ave, so of course we had to find Ponce while we were in Florida, too! We wanted to check out some natural springs and they were gorgeous. Luckily we didn’t discover any alligators during our stroll, although we did discover some beautiful views.
We snacked on some breakfast treats at a picnic table while we watched people swim and play in the park. It was awesome to find something like this in Florida, because I don’t realize how many natural springs existed there. We’ll be back!
After Ponce, we ventured to 30A (not our cup of tea whatsoever, but we wanted to check it out before leaving Florida). We found a non-bougie afternoon hangout where we grabbed a drink and enjoyed the fog. One other thing that threw us off about the PCB area was all the fog; that was my first time in the panhandle and it was insanely foggy, but abruptly! From Ponce to 30A, I felt like I was in a completely different climate and place altogether.
We found an amazing lunch spot with delicious food. The price showed because we were in an expensive part of town haha, but it was worth it. Linley was getting so much attention from all the women on spring break, and from other pups walking by, too. He’s well-loved wherever we go! 🙂
We quickly stopped at our Airbnb but ventured back to downtown Panama City because again, it suddenly felt warm and sunny. There was an art fair going on and although Lin was overstimulated, we found a great spot by the water to walk around and grab a drink before hitting the beach one last time. Seeing Linley smile and play the way he does when he’s in a new place is something that always melts Alex’s and my hearts. And seeing my two favorite fellas bond is something I’ll never get over!
The theme of the day was fog, because we sadly had one last evening of it during sunset. We met a stranger named Lee, who was nice but talked our ear off, so maybe it was a blessing it was foggy (I would’ve felt like I was missing out otherwise haha!) Despite the fog, Linley enjoyed frolicking on St. Joe Beach again on the last evening of our trip. When we visit again, we’ll stay near this beach because it was absolutely beautiful, barely anyone was around, and it was one of the nicer beaches we’d ever been to with Linley. I miss it just writing this now!
We headed back into town for our last dinner of the trip, and let’s just say I ate my body weight in crab legs! Aside from the fried fish we made the night before, it was my best meal of the trip, and it was great to be on the patio with Alex and Linley. The whole weekend felt like my happy place!
We were exhausted because of how much fun we had! We can’t wait to return, and we can’t wait for our next Tracey Trio roadtrip. 🥹
Media taken Saturday, March 7 & Sunday, March 8, 2026.
The Tracey Trio takes Florida (Pt. II)
It’s been a week and I’m still daydreaming of our time in Florida. I’m really missing the beach, the sand in my toes and the sea breeze this afternoon.
Last Friday, we attempted to see the sunrise with no luck. But it was still such a fun experience to be at the dog beach again with less people and pets running around. Linley, of course, had to mark his territory and say hello to strangers every chance he could. That’s one of many things about him that I love so much; he makes himself at home wherever we go.
After some fun in the sand, we hung out and had a pretty relaxing morning. You better believe we found another beach to hang out at in the afternoon though, and that was even more private than the dog beach in Panama City. St. Joe Beach, about 45 minutes from our AirBnB, was perfect; we enjoyed collecting shells, walking as a family along the water and the entire afternoon was the “pause button” I really needed.
Like I said in my previous post: I always get so emotional reflecting on all the times Lin and I have enjoyed the beach together. He used to be my little beach buddy when it was just the two of us, and Alex was that missing piece that we never knew we needed (but so badly wanted!)
After s’more fun in the sun, we grabbed lunch in St. Joe and had a relaxing afternoon of good food, conversation and laughs.
After lunch, we headed to this super cool brewery and cocktail bar before cooking at our place. I enjoyed some snacks and two mocktails while Alex had a beer and a cocktail afterward. Linley kept getting attention and we all had some fun with my heart glasses.
Between our afternoon pit stop and heading back home for the evening, I wanted to see the sunset because our first night was such a flop due to the fog. And we got lucky because it was absolutely beautiful! Linley was a bit fussy haha, but we enjoyed it regardless.
I can’t wait for our next adventure!
Media taken Friday, March 6, 2026
The Tracey Trio takes Florida (Pt. I)
Last weekend, the three of us had a great time in Florida. It was my first time in the panhandle and Linley’s first time in Florida altogether. Our roadtrips and long weekends away are something I’ll always cherish, and am already missing so much (we got back on Sunday!)
We started our day on Thursday by exploring a couple places for lunch and nice views in the afternoon. Then once our AirBnB was ready for check-in, we relaxed on the patio for a little while. We all enjoyed soaking up some sun!
Our first sunset wasn’t the most successful, given that it suddenly became extremely foggy as we drove to the dog-friendly beach nearby. It was such a bummer because we really wanted to see it, but we were able to enjoy a sliver of it.
When I look back at these photos and videos, I get emotional because I love these moments together more than I can put into words. And I’ve genuinely enjoyed soaking up every sunset and sunrise with Linley over these past eight years, and now we get to do the same with Alex.
On a lighter note, of course our boy had to sniff and dig around in the sand!
And as much as Linley enjoys the beach, he doesn’t enjoy his post-beach routine (but we do!)
Media taken Thursday, March 5, 2026 in Panama City Beach, Florida🌴
Bamboo forest in my backyard
Who knew Atlanta had a bamboo forest? I certainly didn’t, and the crazier part is that it’s near the dog beach we take Linley to all the time! I’m off this week and enjoyed my Tuesday “staycation” by frolicking in the woods with my best bud.
Our total hike time was five hours(!) but I’d only anticipated about two or three. Luckily, Lin and I kept going and didn’t get tired out. The only times we stopped was when we wanted to take pictures, meet strangers or when one of Linley’s pack leaders of Two Chicks and a Pack recognized him. He’s basically a celebrity in Atlanta now 🤣
We easily could’ve (and probably should’ve) parked in a closer lot to the bamboo forest, and Alex apologized for giving us the wrong directions. But honestly, who could get mad at getting lost in the woods with their best friend? I certainly can’t, and “not all who wander are lost.” 💛 Plus all the meandering led us to meeting some friendly pups and humans!
Lin was like the energizer bunny and kept a great pace the entire time! But rightfully so, he needed a break and was exhausted! He was such a good boy getting back to the car and I took him to the pet store on our way back home.
I can’t wait until next time 🫶
Media taken Tuesday, March 3, 2026 on the East Palisades Trail in Atlanta, Georgia
Hiking with the guys in North Carolina
Something I always enjoyed doing with Linley was hiking, so the fact that I have a husband and friends who want to tag along is so much fun; the more the merrier! We found a hiking trail near our AirBnB last weekend and it was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. Although it was warmer and a steeper slope than we expected, we had a ton of fun!
After a couple good meals for lunch and dinner, and LOTS of laughs, we enjoyed a cozy night in.
Next stop: Florida!
Media taken Saturday, February 28 in North Carolina
