As we enter a new year, I can’t help but reflect on all the ups and downs of 2025. From starting a new job and quickly dreading it due to verbal abuse, planning a casual wedding, getting married and going on the honeymoon roadtrip of a lifetime, and everything in between… I’m extremely grateful for all the greatness this year has brought me.
2026 will be all about letting go, healing and being more open and willing to receive the universe’s gifts, as opposed to wanting to control everything (my schedule, others’ emotions, etc.) Spontaneity is the name of the game for 2026 (aka: the year of the fire horse!)
But until we get into 2026, here’s some of my favorite moments from December. I may not stick with monthly gratitude journaling going into this year, but I’m extremely thankful for the community I have built – and am slowly rebuilding – here in Atlanta.
Moments between Alex and LinleySpontaneous dinner with my friend, JessA blossoming friendship with Colin, Devin and Grayson
Seeing my two favorite pupsAdmiring the sunset with Alex
…and more moments like these!Our third annual Botanical Garden LightsGetting professional photos done with LinleyAnother Linley and llama tree!Linley and Ellie making the nice list this yearA gluten free baking class with AlexRunning into our neighbors at Ponce City MarketLinley going on more hikes with the pack!Taking Linley to the Delta office againOur second Cirque du Soleil show…getting tipsy and buying a toy for Linley at the Cirque show……and Cheeto having a front-row seat at the show!Linley’s clean bill of healthEnjoying our Chippy the Dog daily calendarGlass blowing with Janessa…and even more moments between Alex and Lin!
Strolling through a new part of the cityDinner with Amy and Danny
Sunny afternoon walksMaking a bûche du Noël cake with AlexOur third Christmas together…and Trizzie joining us this year!Comedy night with AlexLinley’s new friend and doppelgänger
Running around at the parkThe last comedy night at LimericksGrace’s and my first time at the Clermont Lounge!
Wishing Saskia a happy new year in GermanyOur last drink of 2025Happy new year!!!
Yesterday was probably the best Christmas I’ve ever had. I used to love my family get-togethers before my estrangement took place, but holidays haven’t been spent with my biological family since 2018 or 2019. As much as I miss spending time with my parents, Alex and I will be seeing them next month, and that dedicated quality time will mean so much to me.
I was tossing and turning on Christmas Eve night into Christmas Day, and Alex let his parents know that I was feeling anxious and emotional about my past. My first Christmas with his family in 2023 was nice but it doesn’t even compare to the love, support and ease I felt yesterday. I couldn’t be more thankful for that.
We visited Lau Lau (Alex’s grandma) for lunch with all the aunts and uncles and their families, then had quality time with Alex’s parents and brother on the Tracey side, followed by a lovely dinner at Aunt Susan’s and Uncle Ray’s house. Spending quality time with the cousins and our friend Trizzie was super fun, and it felt very much like the cousin time I’d had as a kid long ago. It was nice to feel young again, and I haven’t felt that way on Christmas in probably almost twenty years.
I couldn’t be more grateful for Alex, the love he has for Linley and me, his parents, and entire family for welcoming Lin and me with open arms. As my therapist always says: I deserve to feel safe and loved in every space, and I felt that way in spades yesterday. My father-in-law even turned to me, we clinked champagne glasses, and he told me how happy he was that I was there. And my mother-in-law told me that she looks forward to many more years of love and celebration to come.
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.
Wedding day!The Grand CanyonATL Pride! (October 2025)
Last Monday, Alex and I went to the Botanical Gardens at Piedmont Park for our third-annual viewing of the holiday lights—and trains! We love going every year and it makes for a great date night of seasonal cocktails, gorgeous lights and admiring how creative the staff is.
As soon as you walk in, you see these beautiful, silver birds that fly amongst the stars. Alex and I always venture to the main restaurant area for some holiday drinks before making our way through the greenhouse, larger garden where you can see the Atlanta skyline, and other tunnels of lights. This year we each got two: both were mezcal drinks, one being hot chocolate! We had to take an obligatory photo under one of my favorite tunnels.
Luckily, I’d just gotten a new phone and it was fun to snap some artsy shots of the trees, and of course my favorite lady of the park…
One of my favorite parts of this annual experience is watching Alex watch the trains (yes, you heard that correctly!) I don’t know how else to explain it, other than it’s cute to see little kids point at and admire the moving trains, and then you see 30-year-old Alex doing the same thing. It’s the best!
Last but certainly not least, we enjoyed the dangling lights that sync up to the annual playlist. This year’s playlist was more classical, but I of course captured Louis Armstrong’s debut.
It’s hard to describe unless you’re there, but this entire immersive experience is one of my favorite ways to celebrate the holidays here in Atlanta. All last week I kept telling Alex, “I had the best time and I’ve been thinking about it all day!”
Ellie is our aunt’s and uncle’s 15-year-old pup, and boy do I absolutely love her! She’s practically nocturnal, gets random zoomies late at night and early in the morning, and she snores so loud all day… but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love our weekends (aka: “puppy parties”) with her, and we can’t wait to get Thing 1 and Thing 2 reunited on Christmas!
Media taken Thursday, December 11 – Saturday December 13, 2025🎄
Last year during Thanksgiving weekend, your favorite Tracey Trio hiked Stone Mountain. We decided to do this again, and plan on going on this family hike each year.
Hearing Lin crunch through the leaves, talking with Alex and feeling the sun and wind on my cheeks always makes for a great afternoon together. Being in nature with my two favorite fellas is the best way to spend an afternoon!
After rounding our favorite trails along the water, we decided to check out the quarry and learn more about the granite that was mined here.
I’m a few days late here, but I wanted to tell you all about Linley’s unique experience he had on National Hiking Day! I had no idea Monday was coincidentally this national day, but Linley took a hike with a cool group in Atlanta.
We found Two Chicks and a Pack at a local block party earlier this summer (East Atlanta Strut). It was an awesome event with tons of dog-friendly vendors, and they even had an agility course and show for professionals! When Alex and I saw the van, and ultimately Linley smelled his way to their booth, I was super excited to learn all about this group.
Two Chicks was founded by this awesome woman named Laraine and her best friend. Now there’s an entire team of people who transport and hike with dogs. How it was is that you sign up for a certain day and time, they come scoop up your pup, and they take your dog hiking in a pack! It’s that simple. This was a great alternative from doggy day care, as his previous one in Atlanta failed to inform us that kennel cough was going around, and Linley was recovering from that for nearly a month.
Linley did such a great job getting into the van and crate (that part surprised me haha) and was apparently leading the pack! He got to meet so many other people and dogs, and got to hike at Arabia Mountain in Georgia (I’ve lived here two years and I’ve never even been there!) Linley absolutely loves meeting new dogs and people, exploring new places and peeing on all the things, so they knew he was in heaven!
I can’t wait to sign Linley up for another hike in early December!
Photos taken on National Hiking Day, November 17, 2025 at Arabia Mountain, GA.
I hadn’t been to Tybee Island until the first weekend of November, and I already can’t wait to return! Alex, Linley, Courtney, Chris and I rode with Captain Seth on a charter boat through the marsh and sea of Tybee Island. It was nothing what we expected, but it was absolutely beautiful and I couldn’t be happier with the experience.
As mentioned, we first rode through the marsh in our tiny boat. Seth went fast and it was such a rush! The water was only three feet deep, and was a delta where all the rivers fed into the ocean sea. Our boat actually got stuck at one point, but Alex and I knew Seth would get us out of the mess. Afterward, he went faster again and I was smiling from ear to ear! Seth took us to a sand bar that basically felt like a private beach, and we enjoyed some stretching and running around as we watched the sun begin to set and the birds begin to flock.
Although Courtney and Chris were with us this time, and although Alex was there and we’ve been to the beach as a family before, I couldn’t help but think of all the sunrises that Linley and I experienced during our year in Chicago. I took him every single morning, and it honestly saved my life. I didn’t have many friends there, I’d lost my job and was going through a divorce at the same time. Our sunrises together taught me that I could start anew, and Linley had been my loyal sidekick through all of it. It’s always hard to look back on the past without dwelling on it, and it makes me appreciate the moments we have together now more than ever.
After our fun on the sandbar/private beach, just when I thought our experience couldn’t get any better, it did. We were going fast in the ocean when Seth decided to stop suddenly. As we came to a stop, we saw a family of dolphins approach our boat! I’ve never seen dolphins before and I couldn’t believe my eyes; I started tearing up, Alex started filming and Linley was whining away haha. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience and it took my breath away.
Being with my two favorite fellas, two of my close friends and someone who led us to that moment was truly an unforgettable experience. We watched the moon and rode fast again once the dolphins let us be.
The last part of our ride back to the dock was equally as breathtaking as I saw the most beautiful sunset, which reminded me of a safari. I’ve seen sunsets in a few different countries and continents, but there was something really special about this one.
I didn’t get a horizontal picture of the sunset or photos of the constellations in the sky at night, but I’ll never forget any of it.
Until next time. 🫶
Media taken Saturday, November 1 on Tybee Island, Georgia. 🌅
This past weekend was so much fun, that I wanted to dedicate a second post toward Atlanta Pride! We do things different here in Georgia: Atlanta Pride is usually the second weekend of October, and Savannah Pride (also fun!), is typically the weekend after. Why do we do it this way? Well, it’s super hot in June so we push it out for that reason, but also to get people north of us to come visit these two amazing southern cities!
We won’t be able to make Savannah Pride this year because we’ll be visiting Halloween weekend, but I had a blast at my first Atlanta Pride! Ironically, our three LGBTQIA+ besties were all out of town, so Alex, Linley and I went as the Tracey Trio allies. We took a lovely stroll down memory lane (well, down old streets I used to live on to get to the parade) and posted up at a great spot. We even saw two of Alex’s coworker friends, too!
Dancing to all the music while admiring all the creative floats, costumes and signs was an absolute blast. Delta was there, along with other big companies in Atlanta like Coca Cola, The Georgia Aquarium and more. See for yourself… 😉
After the parade, we made our way to Piedmont Park for some drinks, free goodies and celebration! A little boy gave us each a pride flag on our walk over, and I was really proud of his parents/family for raising him right. 🫶 We even ran into our besties Devin and Jesse, too; they recognized Lin in the crowd with his rainbow bandanna and his smile and tail wag 🥹
I’m proud that I live where I do. I’m proud that I have a partner who not only sees the importance of pride, but who genuinely wants to join in on events like this (and has a blast with me!). And I’m proud that Lin didn’t get overstimulated until the very end of the afternoon 😅
And so we strolled back home through “memory lane” with big smiles…
Media taken Sunday, October 12, 2025 in Midtown & Piedmont Park, Atlanta.
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✨
This past Friday, Alex and I had dinner with two other couples: one who Alex has known since college, and the other who we met at the college couple’s wedding last May.
The dinner we had brought me so much joy and I had so many great epiphanies from our time together:
I’ve been putting too much pressure on myself to find “my own friends” in Atlanta, when really, the community I’ve met through Alex has accepted me more than my own family ever has.
This friend group is the microcosm of who Alex and I are: people who bring others together. Alex met Christina and Tyler in college, then we met Jordan and Rachel at their wedding because I struck up a conversation with them… and look at us now!
Just because my friends from ten years ago may not be in my life anymore, doesn’t mean that I will never have those sorts of friendships again. In fact, some of the friends I’ve made in the past two-ish years have been the healthiest, most supportive and fun friendships of my life yet.
You’re allowed to change and grow and value different qualities from your friendships now than you did before.
Making friends and finding community is hard – especially if you move and when you grow up – but finding the diamonds in the rough is SO incredibly worth it.
The rest of our weekend was wonderful too, except for Sunday evening. I’d reconnected with a friend who is going through a hard time, and used me as a “punching bag” this past year because of it. She’d admitted that she was angry and jealous of me and that’s part of why she treated me as she did. But truth be told: I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to trust her the same way ever again.
My relationship OCD wants to fixate on that conversation instead of all the good that happened this weekend and week, including our fulfilling triple-double-date, hanging out with our buddy Matt, taking Linley to his third-annual Splish Splash Doggie Bash, and having a great conversation (and hugs!) with my bestie Grace last night.
I couldn’t be more grateful for my friends who make me feel at home, and I’m not going to let one bad apple ruin my weekend or night’s sleep again…
…the leaves are changing, and so am I. 🙂✨
Media taken Friday, October 3 – Wednesday, October 8 in Atlanta, Georgia. 🍂
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!
A weekday dinner with GraceOur second Wet Nose Wednesday game!Linley getting his kennel cough taken care of at the vetFinally “shooting the Hooch!” A nice dinner outStanding on a paddleboard for the first time everAll smiles with this guy!Celebrating Lin’s Gotcha Day!Alex pointing out a full moon outside our placeAll of Lin’s cuddles and quirksAppreciating a sunset like I appreciate sunrisesA game with good friendsBack to our original selvesA belated Gotcha Day celebration on the Pooch Pontoon and private beach!My first Shaky Knees, and our matching JVB shirtsAlex’s first camping tripLinley laying on the toys Alex got him for our wedding day 🥹
Seeing the otters at my second Aqua Vino eventLin being goofy as alwaysDays with my two favorite guysSeeing Pancake and Donut in the office yesterday
Traveling with the Traceys 