Reminiscing

January 25, 2026January 26, 2026 / Cate Tracey / 2 Comments

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. 🥹

I’m happiest when…

December 22, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 2 Comments

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.

Photos taken January – November, 2025✨

Another wonderful weekend✨ (pt. I)

October 13, 2025October 13, 2025 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

One of the many things I love about Alex is that he cherishes weekend adventures the same way I do. I used to plan all this fun for Lin and me, and the fact that I’ve actually taken a backseat on some of that is rare. It’s great to be with someone with the same enthusiasm and “zest for life,” to put it cheesy!

Thursday was super fun because we saw three French metal bands at one of our favorite venues, with one of our favorite friends. Justin and Alex have been best friends since middle school, and over these past couple years, he’s become one of my besties, too! We even met one of the screamers from Resolve, and I got to practice a little French when buying my new hat.

Friday afternoon, we took a family walk around the pond where we got married in March (just steps away from our apartment), and I just reflected on how happy I am and how fortunate I feel to have Alex and Linley in my life.

Friday was also great because Alex bought tickets for an Edgar Allan Poe speakeasy event. We thought it was going to be more of a stereotypical speakeasy, but instead we got to watch for performers recite some of his most famous works. Not to mention they served us four strong cocktails in the course of 90 minutes… it’s a good thing we took an Uber! Afterward we took some fun pics at a local burger joint, and even took a Waymo home. ‘Twas a fun time!

Saturday was a blast because we checked out Amicalola Falls State Park with Linley, and this used to be a point on the Appalachian Trail. The falls were beautiful, the hike was challenging but fun, and Alex survived all the spiders! Linley was getting a ton of compliments per usual, which always fills our hearts up with joy.

After our lovely hike, we drove up to a resort at the top of the mountain. We took in the views and the sunshine on our backs before grabbing some lunch.

We chose to head back into downtown Dahlonega, where we had lunch before our camping trip last month. It’s hard to believe how fast time is flying this summer and fall… but we’re trying to soak up every minute of it.

To round out the day, we went to one of our favorite wineries for a bottle of red, beautiful views and more sunshine. We had a great time, but it was strange because a little girl on the patio was also Linley, and her parents were upset that they shared a name! It was odd, and they should’ve been honored to share a name with our perfect pup, to be honest! At least Linley wasn’t offended 🤣

I would say, “more weekends like this, please!” but I already know that every weekend with these two is filled with adventure, laughter and love.

More to come on yesterday’s adventures…

Media taken Thursday, October 9 – Saturday, October 11, 2025✨

Last weekend of September

September 30, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

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 🍑

Alex’s first time camping✨

September 28, 2025 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

You read that right! Alex is 30 years old and he’d never been camping in a tent until last weekend. It was so special that his first time camping was with Lin and me, and it meant the world that Alex wanted to try something new with us. That’s one of my favorite things about him (there’s so many!): he’s always willing to try new things. 😀

We headed to Dahlonega, Georgia – a cute mountain town about an hour north of us in Atlanta – to have a nice seafood lunch on a patio in the center of town. That was as luxurious as the weekend would get, haha! From there, we ventured over to our HipCamp site in Dawsonville (we highly recommend going with a private campsite host as opposed to a large, public campsite) to pitch our tent by the river. Admittedly, we struggled the first time around because I put things together like I did in the past, NOT how I should’ve with this new REI tent we’d purchased. But after Alex thoroughly read the instructions – as he always does – we were successful!

Alex instantly calmed down once our tent was pitched and our site was set up with our chairs, table and all of Linley’s gear. We then strolled around the river, hung out on some cool rock formations, and Linley and I had a quick float together. I’d mentioned a few weeks ago that my friends in Michigan didn’t want to go with me, so it meant a lot to float again with Lin!

After some quality time on the water, we chilled at our site before dinner time. It was great to just hang out, listen to good music and talk about random things. I always love camping with Lin because he’s so good off-leash and he loves hanging out with me… and now, us!

Dinner was great, too! We kept it simple with some hot dogs – vegan sausage for me – on skewers. We tried starting a fire with magnesium and flint (since I’m trying to get on Survivor…), but we had to use a lighter instead. Our campsite host walked by and gave us a strange, funny look when we tried the old school way, but Alex reassured him he had a backup plan haha! After we ate, we enjoyed some snacks and drinks, and hung out by the fire until it was time for bed. It was the perfect evening with my two favorite fellas.

The next morning was bittersweet because I knew we had to head back, but I wasn’t ready to leave. I’m honestly not ready for summer and all the memories that came with it to be over, even though I do love the fall! And Lin was so cuddly in the tent, as he always is, and it made it even more difficult to get out and pack everything up.

Although Alex wasn’t used to camping in a tent, I’m really proud of him for trying something new, the three of us had a blast, and we’ll definitely try it again once it’s cooler.

Media taken Saturday, September 20 & Sunday, September 21 at our HipCamp site in Dawsonville, Georgia ⛺️

The Pooch Pontoon!

September 26, 2025 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

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!

August 2025 Gratitude

September 7, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

Last month was wild with a wave of hardship with friends, an unexpected-yet-sensible OCD diagnosis and questioning my career path. However, all that said, August was wonderful and also full of adventure, quality time and great memories!

I’m not ready for fall, but I am ready for an equally exciting September ahead… 💛

All the snuggles with Lin while watching trash TV

Not a “goodbye,” but a “see you later” 🥹

Drinks at our nearby hotel bar (we spent our wedding night here actually!)

Hiking with our aunt, uncle and their pups!

Visiting two former teammates-turned-friends

Some encouragement before a new friend date

Doing one of our favorite things together

Visiting a new lake in one of our favorite places

Watching my guys watch the sunrise together 🤗

Our first family Wet Nose Wednesday game!

Alex and Linley spending the weekend together!

Blue Ridge Beauty

August 30, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

Our second time in Blue Ridge was wonderful, adventurous and full of fun! Alex found a super cute tiny home for us with a beautiful view of the mountains, and we explored a winery and a lake as soon as we dropped everything off. We had no idea a lake was in the area, and we’ll definitely be back to check it out again.

We checked out a brewery before heading back to our place for the evening. It was rainy so we chilled inside, Alex grilled out and we listened to music that made me feel immersed in the mountains. I’ve been needing more nights like that in my life lately, and I always enjoy our “Tracey Trio” adventures!

The next morning, enjoyed the sunrise and then we walked around town and grabbed coffee (and a pup cup!), from a cute cafe called Mountain Momma’s Coffee, and enjoyed all the murals downtown. Being in Blue Ridge a second time really reminded me of northern Michigan and it was a great way to round out our summer travels.

We enjoyed breakfast back at the tiny home and were able to sit outside to enjoy the nice weather. Alex and I headed to the Tennessee boarder to go whitewater rafting in the Ocoee River, where the Atlanta Olympic trails took place! We felt bad leaving Linley at the AirBnB as we always do, but we found out that there’s whitewater rafting that’s much calmer in North Carolina and we plan on doing that with Linley in the spring. It was Alex’s first time rafting and we had a blast! The Rolling Thunder company we went with was wonderful and we’d highly recommend them; we’ll be going with our guide JP again, and he actually grew up in the same hometown as Alex! Small world…

When we got back from rafting, we hung out with Linley on the deck again for lunch. The whole day was perfect so far, but that linch was so wonderful. It was simple, beautiful and perfect in every way. I love all those little yet memorable moments with my two favorite guys!

After some burgers and more good music while we sat outside, we freshened up and headed back into town. We may have had a little too much to drink at a distillery because they were offering tastings, but all in all we had a great evening. And Linley, of course, got lots of attention!

Our next morning was chill as we packed up and grabbed breakfast in town again. I, admittedly, was quite sad to head back, but I know we’ll be back again soon!

Media taken Friday, August 22 through Sunday, August 24, 2025✨

New places in Jasper, Georgia

August 25, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 5 Comments

One of our friends at our favorite bar suggested we go to the Edge of the World trail near Jasper, which is only a little over an hour away from our place in Atlanta. It’s amazing how there’s so much near us, yet I’ve barely explored any of it…

The trail was nice and we hung out by the water as the Tracey Trio. It instantly became a happy place for me, as the water always makes me at peace and happier.

We had a great time relaxing in the water, watching Linley dig around, watching a family have fun tubing nearby, and making a little rock formation with all the near stones we’d found. I’d love to go back next summer!

After our time at the river, Alex found a beautiful winery nearby. We’d never been to Jasper together before, but the Cairn winery was supposedly the best in the area, and we can confirm it was amazing! The service was great, the views were stunning and sitting in the shade with some live music was the best way to end our day of fun.

Photos taken Saturday, August 9 & Sunday, August 10 in Jasper, Georgia✨

Rediscovering Atlanta✨

August 9, 2025August 9, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

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✨

June & July 2025 Gratitude✨

August 3, 2025 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

I used to write monthly gratitude posts a couple years ago, and I’m bringing them back! 💁🏻‍♀️

People I’m especially grateful for:

Alex and Linley, of course
My two long distance besties, Bethany and Carolyn
My therapist, Erin
Gainer and TyTy (aka: the fam!)
Friends we don’t see that often but have recently (Paulina, Matt, Christina, Tyler, Jordan and Rachel!)
My teammates at work
Friends from previous jobs who I’m still close with (Carolina, Emily, Janessa, Ola!)

Moments I’m especially grateful for:

Fun nights out and trying new things with Gainer!

Hanging out with neighbors-turned-friends!

Alex and Linley having a bro-day hiking!

Taking Linley to work with me, just like the good ole days!

Being goofy with one of my best friends, Evelyn!

Cheers to a new month full of new adventures and memories! 🤗

East Palisades Dog Beach

July 11, 2025July 12, 2025 / Cate Tracey / 1 Comment

When I lived in Michigan, I always took Lin to the beach. We visited Empire Bluff Trail and Beach annually until we moved to Atlanta, and even explored the Upper Peninsula and other wonderful spots on Lake Michigan. The water has always calmed me, and it always brought out the puppy in Linley!

My favorite memories from my year in Chicago were taking Linley to the Montrose Dog Beach every morning at sunrise. Sunrise always meant more to me than sunsets, because the start of something is always better than an ending (in my opinion). While going through the divorce and losing my job, those morning moments with Linley got me through and gave me the clarity – and joy – that I so desperately needed at the time.

I’ve been having some introspective moments here in Atlanta lately. I love the city, but need and want to explore more nature here. I have the urge to go whitewater rafting again, and I really need to find a community of people who want to be out in nature more than just day drinking on the weekends. I can’t wait to do more exploring here this summer since we won’t be going on a vacation until October.

Alex and I found a great dog beach to take Linley to, and I’m so bummed that we didn’t do this sooner (but better late than never!). I loved seeing Linley play and dig in the water, he was a great listener when he started to stray away, and he was super brave in the tides. It instantly brought me back to memories from Michigan, Chicago, Asheville, Montana, Washington state and more.

I look forward to more beach memories with Alex and Linley — not only this summer, but forever. 💛