I love the fall, but I’m not ready for it this year. The summer was just too good! Last summer, I was overcoming a back injury and could barely even walk Linley without being in pain. This summer, I did all the things I couldn’t before… and then some!
There were so many firsts for Alex, like camping and whitewater rafting, and so many for me as well. I can’t wait for more adventures as a couple, and as the “Tracey Trio,” even if that means cooler weather and changing leaves. 😌
On Friday, we went to our second Aqua Vino event at the aquarium again. To think a year ago, Hurricane Helene was coming through Atlanta and completely devastated Asheville… it’s quite wild. Not only did I come a long way since last year, but the Southeast did as well #southeaststrong
Saturday was also a ton of fun because we took it easy, explored a new part of the city during a block party, and enjoyed a chill evening together. At the block party, we saw dogs who were trained to do all these tricks with frisbees, too!
Sunday was also great, as we enjoyed a gluten free brewery event with one of our neighbors and her adorable pup, Brody! It was such a great afternoon, and I can’t wait for more memories!
Although I’ve been navigating career, friend and family stuff lately, I couldn’t be more grateful for living in the moment, enjoying the little things and for all the laughter I’ve had this summer. 💛
Media taken Friday, September 26 – Sunday, September 28, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia 🍑
A couple weeks ago, I wrote about my time in Michigan and how it wasn’t the weekend I was hoping it would be. I’ve been feeling misunderstood and unheard in my career, in my friend groups, and in my family. I’ve been pushing myself to write because I truly haven’t felt like it in a while, but I know it’s good for me to get my feelings out of my head.
I’m extremely grateful for Alex, who has continued to try new things with me, explore new places with me and has encouraged me to do what I love most. The friends I’ve made through him feel like family and I’m forever grateful to them and him for that.
Even when times are uncertain and things feel rocky, there are people who care about you and love you. I need to remind myself of that, too.
Earlier this morning, I wrote about how I need to take myself on new adventures. One small-but-mighty goal Alex and I have this summer is to rediscover Atlanta, which also means going to places nearby that we haven’t explored yet. The rooftop bar at the hotel nearby is one of those places, and ironically, it’s where we stayed on our wedding night!
We enjoyed the stunning view of our city, some delicious cocktails, great disco-style music and even saw a couple get engaged a few tables down! You never know what you’ll find until you do some exploring in your own backyard…
Cheers to move adventures and exploring this summer!
And hey: if I need more insights, maybe I can check out this service at the hotel, too… 😅
Photos taken Friday, August 8 at FORTH’s hotel bar, “Moonlight” in Atlanta, GA✨
Alex made my 30th so special, and it was my turn to return the favor! We went to Ellijay, Georgia for the second time as the Tracey trio, and it was so much fun!
We began our day with a morning hike, where Linley almost stepped on a two-foot-long water snake! I’m not normally afraid of snakes, but seeing and hearing Alex freak out in front of me startled me at my core. Luckily, the snake had just had something to eat and had no interest in biting Linley or any of us. But man, I was sweaty after that jump scare!
After our hike, we drove to downtown Ellijay for some rooftop fun. We enjoyed a cocktail and lunch before heading to our AirBnB, and Linley of course got all the attention!
Our AirBnB drop off was quick because we wanted to hit Roo, an amazing winery we visited with my mom in July, before it got super busy. Surprisingly, it wasn’t busy at all, but it probably helped that we were there on a Friday afternoon instead of a Saturday!
Our evening was equally as fun, as we found a spot with live music in downtown Ellijay. It was weird not to be there with my mom this time around, but it was great to be there with my with now-husband and Linley again. The restaurant was so kind to us that they even brought out a table for us outside, and really reminded us of our favorite local spot at home. We’ll definitely be back!
Until next time, Ellijay! ✌️
After Ellijay, we also went to an Atlanta United game and the bar with friends beforehand, and had a birthday brunch for Alex that Sunday.
I can only hope that I made Alex’s birthday half as special as he made mine.
Media taken Friday, May 16 & Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Ellijay, Georgia, & Sunday, May 19 in Atlanta✨
March was our best month yet! Our best friends got married in one of our favorite places, we were married at one of our favorite places, and we had the honeymoon roadtrip of a lifetime as a trio. Although more photos of all that will come, I wanted to share the disposable camera photos our friends and family took during our reception. I immediately knew having these out would be a hit, and what a great idea it was! I look forward to seeing more photos soon, but here’s what we have so far…
Maddie and Quinten, our officiant (on my right)The one and only Sahil!Ariel and Alex!Our venue and second homeCousins Catherine and ReaganOur signature drinksMom and Linley, our bestest ring bearerOur lovely bartenders, Justin and Kyle!Jesse!!!My lovely best friend, Carolina✨Wait, there were three Matt’s?!Our lovely photographer, Trizzie!Uncle Ray… hahaReagan, Alex Matlock and cousin JasonDancing as newlywedsOh boy… hahaOne happy brideOne hammered groom… haha
Photos taken Saturday, March 8, 2025 at Bantam Pub in Atlanta, GA. ✨
It’s currently 4:05am CT in Oklahoma City right now. We’re in a garage-style AirBnB as a trio, and Lin is pushed against me in our ginormous king bed. I turned to face him so my belly would get his warmth, as opposed to him bending into my back and causing me pain later in the morning…
I wouldn’t have it any other way. 💛
Alex and I got married last weekend! We had an absolute blast and it couldn’t have been a more perfect weekend all around. Our rehearsal and dinner went great the night before, and it was so nice to hang out with our parents, friends, and Alex’s family members.
Even the morning of the big day felt “normal” in a sense. We had brunch with my parents at our favorite spot (where we had our reception actually!) and lazily hung out until 2/2:30 or so. Alex, Linley and I did, however, sneak away around 1/1:30 to read each other our vows. We wanted to do this in private, and I’m really grateful we did. It’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. How lucky am I to have found my best friend!
Getting ready was quick and painless, and I of course had to have one of my favorite fellas help me out!
Our apartment, park where we had the ceremony and Bantam Pub for the reception are all walking distance from each other—which is extremely lucky! We love our neighborhood and our friends in it so much. My dad walked me down to the pond where we met Bill, Alex’s dad, who also helped walk me down to Alex. I’m glad I involved both our dads and it was nice to have a moment with both of them before everything got started. It was another special moment I’ll never forget.
Our ceremony was quick and our best friend Quinten married us. Despite the wind and Cecilia, my mother-in-law, having to hold down my veil, it couldn’t have gone any better. I even made Alex cry! Haha and that was the goal… What made everything extra special was that I was able to see my high school best friend and her sister at the very end. Although they missed most of the ceremony, the fact they even made it at all was a huge surprise and blessing. After popping my first ever bottle of champagne – both with Alex and his brother, Jonathan, we chatted, took some group photos, then had fun with our couple’s session with Trizzie and Tripp. Alex and I are grateful that we have not only such loving friends, but talented friends who can marry us and photograph our big day!
Bantam Pub… where to even begin! When Alex and I first met in person, we visited Bantam for brunch that weekend (August of 2023). It was Bantam where we decided to move in together, and it was there and the servers-turned-friends who rallied for Linley during his major surgery last year. It truly is our second home and the community we feel – and created – there is insurmountable. There was absolutely no way we could have our reception anywhere else! We each had a featured cocktail (Linley’s was the “salty dog” of course!) and we danced, ate and drank the night away. Seeing all our favorite people in our favorite place… unreal in the best way.✨
I could go on about how much I love Alex, how great Linley did as the ring bearer, and how lovely everything else was… but I don’t feel like ugly crying at 4:33am CT in some random AirBnB that we’re staying at as we head out west haha. All you need to know is that this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love that I’m forever grateful for, and our little guy killed it out there last weekend. 🥹 The morning of, the after party where everyone kept buying us drinks, and everything in between… it was an incredible day, with incredible friends and one incredible husband!
Alex and I are recovering from a nasty case of the flu (we’re incredibly lucky we’re vaccinated!), and the sweats make me wish for another snow day. Here in Atlanta, snow is rare but we were blessed with two winter storms that made me feel like we were suddenly in Michigan.
Linley and I certainly missed this snow, but what made the first snow day extra special was spending it with Alex. The three of us have never had a fun-filled day in winter wonderland before, and we hope to have many more!
Atlanta is always beautiful, but I especially love it during the holidays. This is my second holiday season in ATL and I’m incredibly lucky to call this city my home. 💛
Here are some amazing places to check out if you’re around for the holidays:
October has brought more positive changes than I’d expected it would. I accepted a job offer at a new company, I was able to see one of my best friends get married, found out that one of my best friends is expecting her second daughter, and a birthday that could’ve felt lonely didn’t — thanks to Alex’s family and our friends here in Atlanta.
I hope that the rest of 2024 brings positivity, calmness and reflection for all of us. 💛
Exploring new places in Atlanta
Volunteering with animals
Enjoying another Atlanta United game
Apple picking and wineries in North Georgia
Courtney’s and Chris’s wedding!
Quality time with Alex’s family
Quality time with Lin and good friends during my birthday weekend
It’s hard to believe that on August 3, 2023 I got on a plane to meet Alex for the very first time. And the day after, I told Alex I wanted to be his girlfriend, and wanted him to be my boyfriend. I had such a great weekend recreating our first weekend together — even though things looked different this year (one of our best friends stayed with us through the weekend since her roommates had covid, and we’d just found out that Linley needed surgery).
On Friday, August 2, Alex, our friend and I went to one of our favorite Thai places in Midtown Atlanta, followed by a late-night trip to Bantam for some drinks. Saturday, August 3 was full of memories from the previous year: Torched Hop brunch, time with Alex and Linley at the Westside Motor Lounge and Scofflaw Brewing, then our friends Alex G. and Tyler joined us for some margs nearby and a nice dinner at Ruby’s Chows — our favorite “fancier” place to go. Sunday, August 4 was spent the five of us (including Lin!) until I joined the Alex’s at Park Bar and another great Atlanta United soccer game.
Not only was the weekend special because of Alex and Lin, but also because I didn’t know Tyler and Alex G. a year ago. I feel blessed to have such incredible friends, and an incredible partner in my new home. ❤
September 9 | One year in Atlanta (and Lin’s Gotcha Day!)
One year ago today, I celebrated six years of adopting Linley… and today I’m celebrating seven years as his best friend! On this day last year, Linley, my dad and I all arrived in Atlanta for moving day — where Linley met his new dad for the first time. Alex and Linley have bonded since day one, making these past two “gotcha days” so incredibly special. AND Linley’s doing great but he needed an overnight surgery last month, which gives us all the more reason to celebrate.
I look forward to more years and memories to come. ❤
It’s been way too long since I’ve posted, and the main reason had to do with my back injury. Early April until recently, I’ve been dealing with two herniated discs and a tear in my lower back. I’m writing this as I lay in our Alexandria, Virginia AirBnB — grateful for the ability to walk without crutches anymore and the opportunity to travel again!
Alex, Linley and our dear friends and family made my recovery process so much better — and I tried celebrating the small wins and good moments with great people.
I look forward to sharing more about our East coast adventures in the coming weeks. ☺️
As soon as I moved to Atlanta, I knew I wanted to start taking dance classes. But I had NO idea that I would ever be performing hip hop in front of an audience (let alone four!)
Dance has always been a big part of my life even though I’ve only “formally” taken dance in kindergarten. I was always at friends’ houses, family get togethers and school dances tearing up the dance floor. In college going out dancing was always my favorite thing to do — even when “going out” wasn’t my thing in general. I pushed myself to take fitness, Latin and hip hop dance classes in the fall and haven’t looked back.
In January, I signed up for my local studio’s performance series: ten weeks of rehearsal for a four-show series during St. Patty’s Day weekend. Myself and eight others dressed like we were in a marching band and moved to the music and crowd cheering us on.
It was such a blessing getting closer with some of my current dance friends — and also making new ones! Some of my closest friends are from dance101 studio and this hip hop group, and all the hard work and laughter along the way only strengthened our bond. I’m incredibly proud of my group and the seven others who performed during the spring shows with us.
Our halfway mark in early February!
Rehearsal videoDress rehearsal photo, where everyone thought we were mimes!
Low quality video of a high quality weekend
Alex was at all four shows, and our friends Liz, Quinten, Ariel and Pardon also came to support me! Aunt Susan and Uncle Ray even came to a show and looked like proud family members! It meant so much to me and having all of them there (especially Alex!) made me feel the most loved I’ve felt in a long time.
I wore my Linley necklace every night!
Although the performance weekend is over, I never want this feeling of love and this high of performing to end 💛
Photos and videos taken February and March 2024 at dance101.
Traveling with the Traceys 