I decided I’m going to make a new blog page about all our Tracey Trio adventures from July onward. It’s been a couples months of healing, facing hard truths and resilience. That said, it’s been wonderful to heal, laugh and love with Alex and Linley by my side.
Our summer adventures were so much fun and I can’t wait for more together!
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.
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!
This past Saturday and Sunday were the first days of me being back in my home state of Michigan since I moved here nearly two years ago. Although I had a nice time overall, it wasn’t the weekend I’d been expecting.
I desperately wanted to float the Huron River rapids in Ann Arbor with my best friend from high school, but she didn’t want to. I was craving deep conversation with my girlfriends, but it felt surface-level. I needed my girl time, but it became a trip with us four plus someone’s guy friend, too (super nice, but I wasn’t asked if that was okay and it wasn’t the purpose of the weekend). I missed Zingerman’s gluten free homemade mac and cheese, but instead we went to Cracker Barrel (because majority rules). I so badly wanted Linley to be there with me on the beach during sunrise, but he was back in Atlanta with Alex this time.
I honestly felt like I was part of *their* weekend, and it wasn’t quite *our* weekend.
Lake Erie and camping and seeing friends was nice and all, but it wasn’t the weekend I was hoping for, nor was it the weekend I truly needed. But honestly, maybe I did *need* it; it showed me that it’s perfectly fine to outgrow a place, outgrow types of weekends with friends, and outgrow the past.
And yes, I know Donna and I will be friends for life, but I think our friendship will change as time passes. She’s there and I’m here, and she’s in her routine and I’m not in one anymore. And none of what I’m reflecting on means that I didn’t appreciate the good moments from the trip, like some of our one-on-one time, walking on the beach, swimming in fresh water again, and being around a campsite with people I’ve done that with before who I’m comfortable around. I was just hoping my first time back in Michigan would’ve been a little more special in regard to what brings back fond memories for me.
Ultimately, I have no regrets and did enjoy camping in Michigan again, even if Lake Erie isn’t one of my special places. But next time I’m there, which won’t be at least for another couple or few years, it’ll be with Alex and Linley, and we’ll be in Ann Arbor.
It felt really great to be home on Sunday night, with my two favorite fellas picking me up from the airport.
Media taken Saturday, August 30 & Sunday, August 31, 2025 at William C. Sterling park on Lake Erie.✨
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✨
I used to write monthly gratitude posts a couple years ago, and I’m bringing them back! 💁🏻♀️
Cheers to a new month full of new adventures and memories! 🤗
I’m lying awake, feeling an incredible lack of patriotism this year, but trying to grasp the positive and what is actually going well in my life amidst the chaos.
Yesterday while I was working, Alex decided to have a bro day with Linley. It was super sweet and thought it was such a cute idea! My two favorite fellas went to Stone Mountain for a morning hike together, and it was adorable to follow along in their adventures whenever I’d get a text from Alex. 💛
Here’s some of the photos they took together from their morning stroll:
Photos taken Thursday, July 3, 2025 at Stone Mountain✨
We “shore” had fun on our long weekend trip to Gulf Shores! It was one of my last weekends of “freedom” before starting my new position for Delta Airlines, and it was great to have some quality time with my two favorite fellas.
We drove in two Fridays ago, and immediately dropped off our things before grabbing dinner and drinks. Our AirBnB hosts had some interesting taste, that’s for sure…
We walked around a local park, where Lin immediately got attention and love from other dogs and people, before heading to a nearby brewery. We enjoyed some live music and nice conversation with a couple who lived in the area for the last decade or more. We always appreciate conversations with strangers and local recommendations! And of course, Linley got even more love and attention—not that he needed it haha.
Our dinner closer to the beach took forever because the weekend wait times were insane, but it was nice to sit down, relax and cheers to a great first evening of the trip. We met some kind wait staff and guests at the table next to us, who loved Lin and kept feeding him fries.
The next morning, we headed straight to the dog beach, which was not what we expected. But alas, we had fun before grabbing lunch at a local spot on the main beach. And although the dog beach wasn’t what we expected it to be, we had a blast watching the blue herons near us and watching Lin grab sticks from the water.
I wish we could’ve brought Lin on the main beach, because that was beautiful! I wanted to get on the water so bad, but we’ll save that for when we’re in Savannah this fall instead. Even being by that water was beautiful, and we had a blast sitting up at the beach bar. We enjoyed some mezcal drinks and delicious seafood, while, you guessed it, Linley got more love! It was cute to see him dig in the sand to cool off again, which is something I’d missed from all our Michigan beach adventures.
No Tracey vacay is complete without an afternoon nap, and that’s exactly what we did during the hottest part of the day. Once we woke up and freshened up, we all got some ice cream and walked around a cute shopping center along the pier. We got some cute dog mom, dog dad and a funny toy for Linley after we all enjoyed our desserts and a drink, and then walked along the water before heading out for dinner.
Our wait for dinner was so long, but we luckily found a great backup spot that was super dog friendly. The best part was that it was called “Cosmo’s” after the owner’s dog, and we couldn’t pass up the chance to visit. We enjoyed good seafood, live music (and the singer brought his chocolate lab, too!), kind wait staff and even a stroll through a local pet store after dinner.
My mental health hasn’t been the best with some family and friend stuff that’s come up lately, so there’s a part of me that felt really bad about bringing some of those feelings up during the trip (i.e.: I never want to ruin Alex’s time or feel like a burden). But I also know that these two make me smile more than anything in the whole wide world, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. 💛
Media taken Friday, June 6 & Saturday, June 7, 2025 in Gulf Shores, Alabama✨
Many people ask “what was your favorite part of the trip?” or “where was the best place you visited?” Honestly, the best parts were all the moments in between: the car rides, the breakfasts in the morning, the cuddles on the couch in the evenings… and the best place was honestly being in the car on the journey!
All the laughing at Lin and saying “k bye” when he moved to the backseat, the stops at Buc-ee’s and all the goofy songs and podcasts we listened to made the trip complete. I miss those moments more than anything and can’t wait to start planning our next family roadtrips, especially our big one for 2026!
I never thought this life was possible for me, or that this level of love was attainable in this lifetime, but I’m damn glad it is!
Of course, we’ve all traveled before we became the Tracey Trio, and I had to scratch off the states we’ve all been to!
Thank y’all for joining us on our blogging journey, and a special thank you to y’all who have been following my stories for a long while. We look forward to sharing more about our adventures to come!
Cheers! 🍻
Right now it’s pouring rain in Atlanta, and I’m in bed with two, sleeping dogs and one sleeping husband. We’re dog sitting until later this morning and now everyone is happily snoring again. Life is good!
Life felt really good in New Orleans, too. There was no stress, time didn’t exist and the pace is something I wish more people lived by. After our long but fun afternoon in the French Quarter, we headed back to our AirBnB to chill out and freshen up before dinner. We had to take more pictures of all the great things we saw along the way!
I still have dreams about New Orleans and our cute AirBnB. It’s a dream to live there or in Savannah one day, not only because of the pace but also because of the old architecture and coziness I feel in these kinds of places. Alex napped and I took some photos of Linley enjoying our place at the fullest.
The start to our evening plans were unique because we were meeting with my mentor-turned-friend, Don. Don grew up in Jersey but has lived his NO since he was 29 (bought a one-way ticket and never left!) He has two sons, is in a band and is with the coolest chic ever… talk about creating an amazing life for yourself! Don and I used to work together and it’s been hard to not have him as a teammate anymore, but it was great to have a reunion and for him and Alex to finally meet! Linley was there too, of course. Don met us around the corner and he brought us some champagne… and whiskey shots!
Unfortunately our time together was way too short; Alex and I had reservations for dinner and Don kindly drove us there. We were hoping to spend time with him before we left, but the time we had was better than no time at all! Our dinner was amazing but we were sat next to some interesting people… all I can say is we can laugh about it now haha! It was really nice to end our stay in NO with quality time though.
The next morning we lazily hung out in our place, probably trying to recover from our entire time in NO haha. It was bittersweet because we’d wanted to be in NO together but also knew that our honeymoon was coming to an end. Lin and I strolled around the neighborhood one last time, we loaded up the car, grabbed brunch and headed east. It’s even hard typing this now because I wish we had more time there…
But we’ll be back. 💛
Media taken March 25 & 26, 2025 in NO.✨
New Orleans hits different when you’re with your two best friends (the third time’s the charm)!
Although heading east after The Grand Canyon was bittersweet, we had a blast in New Orleans, and were majorly looking forward to that leg of the trip. Alex and Linley had never been, so experiencing it through their eyes was really fun. And it was fun to stay in a part of town and explore new places I hadn’t yet!
We stayed near Crescent Park in the cutest AirBnB (definitely one of my favorites of the honeymoon, and one of my favorites ever!) and walked New Orleans’ version of the Beltline toward Frenchmen Street. It was great to see another part of town that wasn’t as touristy as places I’d stayed at in 2022 and 2023.
Frenchmen Street is WAY better and much more local than Bourbon Street (next time we’ll be staying there more). We enjoyed delicious espresso martinis, mezcal drinks and seafood lunch at this cute cafe, and one of the employees brought her newly-rescued dog in! While we were eating, a gentleman struck up conversation with us and told us about some of the local history while we waited for his bike to be repaired across the street. He was a local artist himself, and it was amazing to hear about his life and all that New Orleans had been through. When we were done with our afternoon cocktails, Linley even found some “Jerry beads” along the way!
Before heading out for dinner, we knew we weren’t done exploring. While admiring the local architecture, funky art and old, southern charm down neighborhood streets, we stumbled across a dog-themed bar called Pepp’s Pub. All dogs got their photos taken and we even got our photos taken after a shot, too! A kind stranger who’d lost her dog not too long ago sat with us and it was awesome to hear about her life and her beloved pup.
All of our first afternoon reminded us to slow down, always chat with strangers and to appreciate the moments we had as our “Tracey Trio!”
We continued to have such a great time in New Orleans, but more to come on that later 😌
Photos taken Monday, March 24, 2025 in New Orleans, LA 💛
Traveling with the Traceys 