friendship

Perusing the streets (and past memories) of Paris

/ Cate Tracey / 2 Comments

With the COVID-19 chaos among us, all I can think of is traveling. Last Monday I was supposed to venture off to Banff National Park for some solo adventuring, yet here I am soaking up some sun on my couch…

While I may not be educating myself on wolf-dogs, tubing down mountains or glacier hiking, I am currently lost in past travels. I recently spoke with one of my best friends who I met while we studied in France, so I’ll continue my French-inspired posts for now.

One of my favorite photos from the weekend…

Carolyn and I spent one weekend in Paris during over summer abroad; for both good and bad reasons, it was a weekend we’ll never forget. I can only explain our weekend mishaps by sharing a piece of my matron of honor speech from September 2019:

“During our time in France, there was only one moment when I feared that Carolyn wouldn’t want to be my friend anymore. We were lost in Paris for a while, wandering the outskirts in the middle of the night. Let’s just say that it brought out the worst in us. Our phones weren’t working and we had no clue how or when we would find our way back.

For once, there were no stories about our significant others, no rants about Veronique and her subpar cooking, and most importantly, no laughter. Thankfully, things went back to normal once we found our hotel, and I’m incredibly thankful for that.

In fact, we’ve had a reunion every year since that summer, and in 2015 we were also lost in Chicago late at night. We laughed while we struggled to find our way back to the hotel, and it brought me back to that hectic night in Paris.”

I hope you’re all staying safe, healthy and happy with your loved ones (and favorite TV series!) ❤️

My Dorky Dog

/ Cate Tracey / 4 Comments

I am IN LOVE with my dorky dog! Linley is a good boy with a little bit of sass every now and then…

During the holidays, Linley was not a fan of his new PJs or the fact that I donated some of his old toys to pups in need.

He also poses around the house and looks at me with disapproval when I eat too much chocolate!

Linley is also the side-eye expert, especially when I’m taking photos of him or when he’s my copilot.

Did I mention that my pupper is tired of all the photos?

But did I mention that it’s tiring to carry him around while I’m trying to cook dinner? Lin is a needy pup!

I love my dorky, sassy, high-maintenance pup! Linley is truly my best friend.

PS: yes, that is a toy with my husband’s face on it 😂

MontREAL Fun!

/ Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

A few weeks ago, I planned the most epic bachelorette weekend ever (and when I say “epic,” I mean something along the lines of a “grandmas who like to drink a lot” kind of vibe)!

The seven of us celebrated Carolyn’s love for Ryan by… eating the classiest brunch in Old Montréal. We all ordered savory dishes, and mine consisted of salmon, cauliflower purée, cranberries and greens.

After the boozy brunch, we wandered the streets of Old Montréal; this immediately reminded Carolyn and me of our time in southern France. All of us were on the same page and ended up at a street festival with tons of food trucks, zip lines and happy people. We even rode the giant ferris wheel, which is comparable to the London Eye.

Even though our night out at the comedy club and bowling were pretty low-key for a bachelorette party, we had a riot! Prior to going out, we played some drinking games in the hotel and were able to get to know each other quite well!

The next day, we visited Ontario Street (aka: where all the hipsters live). It was a different vibe for sure, but I loved it regardless. I felt like I was in a different city or country all together. We had another wonderful brunch and spent the afternoon on a pedal bar tour.

If you haven’t been on a pedal bar tour, you need to! My brother and I did this last summer in Portland, and both times were absolutely awesome! Whether you’re with one person or several, you’re going to have a good time with the others you’re pedaling with 🙂

We had two bachelorette parties on our bike, so we all knew we were in for a fun time!

I can’t wait to see these wonderful ladies at Carolyn’s wedding this month!

Fun in Fenton

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I hated Fenton in high school: there was “nothing to do,” no diversity and I couldn’t wait to get the heck out of there! With that said, however, I always enjoy my time in Fenton now.

I think this has something to do with the people. A lot of my close friends live in the area, including Donna. No matter what kind of mood I’m in or what stresses the week threw my way, I can count on her for a good time and great conversation! Plus there’s so much to do in downtown Fenton now, it’s unreal. Of course it became fun once I left…

Even my pup loves it!

In all honesty, I appreciate Fenton more than ever now. I have made amazing friendships there, and visiting always feels like home.

Happy International Women’s Day!

/ Cate Tracey / 5 Comments

Today’s post is for some of my favorite women that I’ve either met abroad or are from another country (or both)!  People are the reason why I love travel as much as I do; it’s about immersing yourself in new cultures and creating strong friendships along the way.  In case you’re reading this, thank you for all of the fond memories, laughs and sharing once-in-a-lifetime experiences with me 🙂

Saskia – friends since 2011 (met through foreign exchange)

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Hamburg, Germany – 2012

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Hamburg, Germany – 2016

Carolyn – friends since 2014 (met as roommates in France)

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Aix-en-Provence, France – 2014

Anwar – friends since 2015 (met as coworkers at our SVSU Writing Center)

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Saginaw Valley State University – 2015

Bethany – friends since 2016 (met as exchange students in Sweden)

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Chicago – 2018

Jacomijne – friends since 2016 (met as exchange students in Sweden)

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Arctic Circle, Sweden – 2016

Gloria, Jagoda & Hui Jun – friends since 2016 (met as exchange students in Sweden)

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Lund, Sweden – 2016

Kaila – friends since 2017 (met as volunteers in Chiang Rai, Thailand)

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Bangkok – 2017

“The Times we had” in Tallinn, Estonia (March, 2016)

/ Cate Tracey / 2 Comments

I remember having zero expectations of Tallinn; I simply thought this was a “break” from the rest of our cruise rather than a city I would love. All of my friends and classmates LOVED Tallinn and had the greatest time! We went on a pub crawl to a few very unique places, including a science lab-themed bar (one even had shots that you snorted and one had the coolest pool table area)! The last photo below proves how much fun I had… Even walking in the streets late at night with my friends are memories I’ll never forget. I will always cherish “The Times we had” in Tallinn!

It’s Always Happy in Hamburg (March, 2016)

/ Cate Tracey / 5 Comments

I have visited a dear friend in Hamburg, Germany twice now: once in 2012 and once in 2016. I love this city very much and have nothing but good things to say about it. In fact, Hamburg was my first city visited outside of North America and has been a gateway for my many adventures abroad! The late night dancing, scenery, food, streets, harbor and good company keep me easily entertained and happy whenever I spend time with Saskia and her parents!

Longing for Lapland (March, 2016)

/ Cate Tracey / 2 Comments

The cold, windy air hitting my nose and cheeks in Michigan reminds me of Swedish Lapland. We visited Abisko and Kiruna, and even crossed the border into Norway for an afternoon. From visiting the ice hotel I saw in Nat Geo as a third grader to sledding in the town after bar hopping, riding on the back of a dog sled, feeding the reindeer and seeing the Northern Lights (three times!), Lapland was probably the happiest week of my life…

Photo Highlights of 2018

/ Cate Tracey / 5 Comments

2018…what a year!  So many incredible things happened, which has led to lifelong memories that I’ll always cherish.

I was able to spend lots of quality time with my Little Sister of four years, Aniya!

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I had a travel marathon from March – July (Chicago, Boston, Iceland, Myrtle Beach, Peru and Portland)! I was able to spend time with old friends, have a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with my mom, hang out with my brother on the west coast and get engaged during this short period of time!

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I was able to spend more time with my pup Linley than ever.  We even went to a baseball game with grams in Detroit!

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My dad and I were able to hang out a lot more than usual, now that we’re in the same department at work.  My dad is also in Big Brothers Big Sisters, and seeing his Little Brother grow up is amazing (and scary…)!

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My best friend (who I call my twin) and I share the same birthday!!! We were able to celebrate our 25th year on this earth together 🙂

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My fiance and pup cheered me up on Halloween as they dressed as a minion and a bee!

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And the most eventful day was Friday, November 16, the day I married my best friend 🙂

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I have no idea what could be better than repeating 2018, but I’m very excited for what 2019 has in store for all of us 🙂 Happy New Year!

Study Abroad Reunion: Chicago (March 9-11)

/ Cate Tracey / 6 Comments

In 2016, I made the best decision of my life: to study abroad in Kalmar, Sweden.

I made THE BEST friends I could’ve asked for!  We all decided to have a reunion in Chicago because Alice (to my right in the above photo) was student teaching in Illinois for one month.  Mitch and Bethany (to my left) are from Colorado, and Taylor (far right) is from Texas.  We HAD to take a selfie at the iconic bean, obviously 🙂

During our first afternoon/evening, we were catching up at dinner, the hotel bar, and even played Uno for awhile in our room.  I hadn’t seen Taylor or Alice since I left Sweden in June, 2016, so seeing them meant the world to me.  Bethany and I, thankfully, have been able to see each other twice since we returned home (once in Chicago in June, exactly!) and will be going to one of my favorite places, Iceland, this May!  Spending time with Mitch is always great, and seeing him meant the world to me as well!

On our only full day together, we went to the Sears Tower (I STILL need to call it that…) and we took some obligatory Sky Deck photos!  It was worth it, but the crowds and heat were too much for all of us.  Thankfully, Giordano’s was right around the corner 🙂

All of us (except for Taylor – he needed a major nap after the deep dish!) spent time near the Water Tower place, specifically at Nike and Ghiradelli!  Mitch and I were OBSESSED with the store.  I have probably been in there at least 10 times and it never gets old!  Mitch, Alice, and I all got ice cream after, which also put us into a food coma, much like our dear friend!

You can’t go to Chicago without going to a comedy show, am I right? I am in love with Second City and Zanies; I have been to both three times I believe.  Bethany and I went to Zanies in June, and I’ve also been there with another friend from studying abroad in France.  I decided on Zanies this time because 1) the tickets were cheaper, 2) stand-up is hilarious and is rarely ever bad (in my opinion), and 3) it’s located on N. Wells Street, where all the best bars are!

Of course, we picked the best night to go!  It was Zanies’ 40th anniversary so we were able to have some mystery shots, more stand-up comedians, and many more laughs! I would tell you some of the jokes; however, they were NOT appropriate for this blog 🙂 Take my word for it: Zanies is the funniest club in Chicago!

Bethany and I are always thuggin’ it on Wells St…

Our coats got switched at Benchmark…oops!

Fun fact: Bethany and I took a similar photo here back in June.  Once we found the same bar, we obviously had to recreate our masterpiece 🙂

This goes without saying, but this was probably the best weekend I’ve had in a long time.  Seeing old friends felt so rewarding and I haven’t laughed that hard in SO long (both from the comedians AND my best friends)!  I can’t wait until our next reunion together.

I can’t wait for Taylor to have a Guinness at every bar he passes, for Alice to be as stereo-typically French as possible, for Bethany and I to laugh over nothing at all, and for Mitch and I to have the best conversations again 🙂