Reflection

September 2, 2025 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

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.✨

Coworkers-turned-friends

September 16, 2023September 16, 2023 / Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

I’ve been an Atlanta resident for exactly one week, and as happy and at home as I feel here, I miss my friends I met through work. This time last year I left Chicago for Michigan on much different terms (going through a divorce, feeling lost, unsure of the future) and now it’s the complete opposite—all thanks to my support system who helped me through difficult times back home.

I wouldn’t be the confident woman standing in Atlanta today if I didn’t have these friends by my side this past year. I only wish they were here with me. 💛

August Gratitude

August 22, 2023September 1, 2023 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

I wrote about my weekend in Grand Rapids and still can’t comprehend how perfect it was! I’ve been reflecting on my year in Michigan, what it’s like to be moving now vs. what it was like to move this time last year during the height of my divorce… It’s been an extremely cathartic and spiritual process. And with that, I can’t help but be grateful for the month I’ve had thus far.

The beginning of something beautiful with Alex 💛

Leaving “my Alex” and running into one of my best friends Alex at the Atlanta airport!

Reuniting for drinks with my high school golf coach!

A fun weekend with an old friend, and a few new ones ☺️

My dad wanting to take Linley to Home Depot!

Hitting up Two James in Detroit with one of my best friends 🍸

Linley stalking a baby raccoon in the neighbor’s shed

A fun night in Ann Arbor with Emily and Zac!

A much-needed beach day with one of my oldest and closest friends 💛

Homemade pizza with one of my oldest and closest friends (and her lovely husband!)

Even Linley made a new friend this month!

Photos taken Thursday, August 3 through Monday, August 21, 2023.

West side, best side!

August 21, 2023 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

I had the best time on the west side of Michigan this weekend! As I approach my move-in date in Atlanta, I’ve been cherishing every moment with my closest friends here.

One of my coworkers-turned-friends is also celiac, and we hit up an all GF brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan called Brewery NYX. I haven’t had such good beer in over eight years! The food, the beer, the laughs… I definitely needed it! I had such a fun afternoon with this lovely group of ladies.

After parting ways with Danielle, Tara, Maggie and Cheryl, I headed to my friend Crystal’s to hang out with even more wonderful ladies! Crystal and two of her girlfriends who I’ve become close with this year – Sam and Mercedes – invited me to an all-female event called “The Sorry Papi Tour – The All Girl Party,” which featured Latina DJs, an all-female staff AND all-female audience! It was wonderful! I haven’t felt so safe being myself and dancing like I do in a club EVER. It was such a great feeling reuniting with Sam and Mercedes, and of course seeing my dear friend Crystal is always a treat. My ladies and me had the best night (I just wish I remembered more of it, haha!)

Last but not least, I woke up around 10:30am on Sunday (which is rare for me!) and I headed west to Holland, Michigan where I’d be meeting one of my best friends from college. KayLee and I have been close since 2015 and it was amazing to hang out with them on different terms. In June when I saw them last, we were both going through a hard time. Now, we’re both out from it and are on the other side. Talking with KayLee on the beach, swimming and grabbing some good grub was much-needed – and a great ending to a great weekend!

I could easily say something like “I just wish I had more time with everyone” and of course that’s true… but nothing about my weekend felt rushed or inauthentic in any way. I value(d) all parts of my weekend – including my phone calls with friends on the way there and back – and couldn’t have asked for anything more. Until next time, Grand Rapids!

Photos taken Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20, 2023.

July 2023 Progress & Gratitude

August 2, 2023 / Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

I have so much to be grateful for heading into my final month in Michigan 💛

Meeting new people and eating great food!

Reuniting with my cousin and meeting her fiancé!

Hanging out with my brother from another mother!

Let’s see what August has in store! 😉

Camping in Hell (literally!)

July 21, 2023 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

Written on Sunday, July 9, 2023

What a weekend in Hell, Michigan! Haha ☺️ Linley and I pulled up and barely got a spot around 9:30pm on Friday evening, and met Zac around 9:45/10 (which was just enough time to get the tent pitched!) Lin was a little anxious but overall he was a good boy 😌

Zac and I laid in the hammock, and talked about anything and everything until 4am! The only bad part was that a black cat came up and scared Lin and Zac, but no complaints aside from that.

It was a little rainy through the night and Saturday morning, so we decided to drop Linley off after talking for hours in the morning. I loved having such fun yet deep conversation with Zac the entire weekend 😀

It was great chatting with Zac and my parents in Fenton! The rain ended up being a blessing, even though I missed Linley so much. My dad gave me a big compliment about my heart, and it really made Zac light up—which melted my heart even more! After talking about Fenton and the home’s history (my parent’s home was built in 1837!), we left and met Emily back in Hell around 2:30/3pm.

Tubing was fucking epic! We finally got our shit together around 4/4:30 and hit the water by 5pm. Every single part of the float trip was perfectly imperfect—from getting stuck in the cascades to peeing in the Huron River. I loved every second of my time with Emily and Zac yesterday (and the Dirty Detroit I made didn’t hurt, either!!!)

The evening was a little rowdier than expected, but of course still fun 😂 I woke up this morning to find myself in the tent alone… so we know what happened haha! All in all, it was a much needed trip for all of us 💛

Media taken Friday, July 7 through Sunday, July 9, 2023

Summer so far…

July 10, 2023July 10, 2023 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

I’ve been having an excellent summer after a turbulent spring, and I couldn’t be more thankful for my new and old friends this season.

The first shoutout goes to my dear friends Andy and Shawn, who hosted me for the second time in Atlanta this year — resulting in the final decision to make it my soon-to-be new home! 🤗

I’ve also been blessed with seeing four concerts in June (Dermont Kennedy at Meadowbrook, the music of Hans Zimmer at the Redford Theatre, The Rare Occasions and Summer Salt at El Club, and Ben Folds at The Soundboard — all epic Detroit venues). I have a varying taste in music and it was great to experience each show with old friends, where we even made new friends along the way. When Emily and I visited El Club in mid-June, we befriended Kevin and Marianne — who both joined our company picnic, and who I danced the night away with after a Detroit Tigers baseball game a couple weeks ago. My life is essentially a series of fortunate events – especially in regard to befriending strangers – and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They definitely deserve my second shoutout.

Linley is the best hiking and beach buddy around, so he gets my third shoutout of the summer. Most of you have probably seen my hiking and beach photos from a few weeks ago, but in case you needed a reminder (or at least needed to see some fluffy cuteness in the sand)…

Emily’s part of my second shoutout, but she and Jenna are granted the fourth because they’re two of the best coworkers-turned-friends I could ever ask for. We floated the cascades at Argo Park in Ann Arbor, and for those of you in the area, I would highly recommend it. Emily and I also floated with our buddy Zac last weekend, but that deserves a post of its own. Emily and I also hit up Taco Fest in Royal Oak and Kensington Metropark on the Fourth of July; she’s quickly becoming one of my best friends. 💛

Aniya – my Little Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program – has been in my life for almost a decade now. She’s truly the little sister I never had but always wanted, and more. I was able to spend quality time with her and her family a couple weeks ago, and the UNO games got a little too competitive! Being around Aniya and her family always warms my heart — especially given how strong our bond has been after all this time. Aniya and her family get my fifth summer shoutout.

My sixth and final shoutout for this post goes to my mom (aka: “Party Dawn!”) because she’s the best road-trip and apartment-hunting partner in crime around. We drove down from Michigan to Atlanta in one day, looked at five or six apartments the next day, and turned around that Sunday. Although we weren’t in the city on Fourth of July itself, spending the long weekend with her was so worth it. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any photos together, but she did take some of the pup and me.

I look forward to more Friday dinners with my parents, outdoor adventures and fun times with friends before my next chapter next month. My heart is full but my coffee cup isn’t, so until next time: Thank you for following on this incredible journey! ☺️

Fifth-Annual Empire, Michigan Trip

June 21, 2023June 21, 2023 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

As Linley was heading over to my house for his drop off in 2017, I was researching the best hiking trails for dogs when I stumbled across Empire Bluff Trail in northern Michigan. We’ve ventured up there every year since 2018, and last weekend was no exception.

Although he probably wouldn’t consider himself this to me, my “ex” was traveling with friends last weekend, and I knew I had to do something to distract myself from all the negative self-talk and anxiety-inducing thoughts. What a perfect time to take Linley on our fifth-annual trip! Linley may not be able to talk, but man is he a good listener, haha! And Linley is definitely cuter… he’s my best friend after all. I knew my mind was often sidetracked but I still had such an enjoyable, memorable weekend with my pup!

Linley and I first dropped things off at our yurt on Saturday. It was such a cute set up, and our hosts Jen and Jeff (the property owners) were super helpful, responsive and downright kind—which is par for the course up north. I know I’m skipping ahead a bit, but I’ll say Linley and I both got great sleep in our yurt!

Empire Bluff Trail was our first adventure of the day, which is a shady, uphill trail until you reach the top of a gorgeous sand dune. As Linley marked and panted his way upward, I was able to take in some stunning views (it was the first time I saw a deer up here!).

Our favorite thing to do is nap it out and soak up some rays and views before heading back down. Without fail, Linley always digs himself a cooler spot in the sand—and it’s my absolute favorite thing to watch.

Upon waking up, Linley and I overheard people gathering for what sounded to be a wedding. In all my time up here, I’d never seen a wedding, or even thought it to be a possibility. I met my ex on vacation because I crashed his friend’s bachelor party, and here Linley and I are almost crashing a wedding haha! We woke up, headed back down the trail, and snapped some photos along the way.

Of course we had to hit the dog-friendly Empire Beach afterward! We didn’t spend too much time in the water, but we did lounge on the sand and Linley got some attention—both from little kids and adults! He did some digging while I did some reading, and we snuggled up to watch the sunset together.

By the evening hit, we were pooped. We headed back to the yurt, snuggled up for bed and slept like babies. I may have missed the stars at night, but I’m happy I finally got some good sleep—especially with my favorite nap buddy by my side.

After a lazy morning, we decided to hit a new beach – part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes – before heading south. Esch Beach is a large stretch of Lake Michigan with half being welcoming for dogs. All these years and I’ve never even heard of this beach, so it was cool to check it out!

Heartbreak, feeling used and led on, manipulated… not really knowing if he was honest from the beginning… all sucks. It’s made me feel extremely depressed, as has knowing he probably doesn’t care about me at all (and never did). But I’ll say that having Linley helped me get through my divorce last year, and spending time with him is helping me now—as always. 💛

Media taken Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18, 2023.

Easter weekend shenanigans

April 12, 2023April 30, 2023 / Cate Tracey / 3 Comments

I had a wonderful weekend with my parents, and old friend and another work friend who is becoming closer by the day. On Friday evening, I grabbed dinner and drinks with my coworker-turned-friend Emily, starting in my favorite Ferndale, Michigan and ending the night in Hamtramck (our Polish city within the city of Detroit!). We talked about our families, guys and shared plenty of laughs along the way. It’s been great growing a beautiful friendship with Emily!

Saturday was a lazy day at home with my parents, but wasn’t so lazy for Linley! We dressed him up in his bunny costume for a little Easter egg hunt in the backyard. He hated the costume, but loved the treats!

Sunday itself may not have “felt” like Easter, which was perfectly okay by me; my friend Crystal (who I hadn’t seen since December) and I needed a beach day on Lake Michigan, and of course Linley is always our plus one. The three of us enjoyed some hiking, lounging on the warm sand, walking along the water and some good snacks. I needed my much needed Crystal time!

Media taken Friday, April 7 through Sunday, April 9, 2023.

Combating feelings of failure

November 24, 2022 / Cate Tracey / 20 Comments

29. Divorced. Living with my parents. May not be able to afford a home. Don’t know where I want to live, or if I even want to stay in Michigan.

“If I stay in Michigan, am I settling? Am I a failure if I stay here? Am I a failure if I move away again and hate it? Did I cause my marriage to fail? Will my heart ever be whole again?”

All of these feelings are flooding my mind lately. I have been feeding “the bad wolf.”

BUT I have also been feeding “the good wolf.”

“Maybe I need to be surrounded by some of my best friends and parents in Michigan right now. Maybe if I were living by myself I would feel even more alone. Maybe I don’t have to have all the answers on where to live yet, and maybe I can travel a bit to figure that out. Or stay put. I don’t have to do a damn thing if I don’t want to!”

Although being here (‘here’ means being around certain people) reminds of me times that I’ve been hurt, I’m also finding new and old friendships pulling me out of despair and into a feeling of inclusion and, dare I say, home.

Linley the snow bunny!

Chicago probably isn’t in the cards; I gave that place and experience my everything. But if I stay in Michigan, I’m not a failure. If I move away and hate it, I’m not a failure. If I move away and love it, I’m not a failure. If I ever find love again and it doesn’t pan out the way I want it to, I’m not a failure. I’m not a failure for spending thanksgiving with another family other than my own. And I’m certainly not a failure for feeling all these conflicting emotions while I’m healing my broken heart. ❤️

Media taken November 1 – 16, 2022

Empire Bluff Trail and Beach

September 11, 2022 / Cate Tracey / 4 Comments

Knowing that Labor Day weekend was probably the last glimpse of summer we would see in the Midwest, I dedicated a day toward hiking and soaking of the sun with Linley. We traveled north to the Traverse City area and did our fourth-annual Empire Bluff Trail hike together.

Having had Linley for five years now, I’m constantly researching the best dog-friendly areas for us to explore. Empire Bluff Trail was a gem I found four years ago, and we’ve made it an annual tradition to do a hike and lounge at the beach afterward. This year, it was just the two of us and we slept on the the dunes AND on the beach this time!

Feeling the sun on our skin, the sand in our toes (and paws!) and soaking up the last bit of summer was the perfect way to spend Labor Day weekend. The hike and sun beating down on us tired both of us out, but we enjoyed the sunset and quality time curled up on the beach together. I can’t put into words how much I love this little fella—and all of these moments we share!

Media taken Sunday, September 4, 2022

Camping with my ladies… and Lin!

September 2, 2022 / Cate Tracey / Leave a comment

Last Friday was one of the most challenging days I have had. It was personally and professionally a really difficult day, and I certainly needed some relief. I was excited to hit the road and head east toward Grand Rapids, Michigan to spend some much-needed quality time with my friend Crystal. She has been a constant during my year in Chicago, and I had actually never hung out with her in Michigan even though she lives there. It was nice to go her way and do some camping before the summer’s over.

Being me, I had let Crystal know that I was emotional. It was a long drive, and a long day in general, and I was mentally exhausted. Little did I know that Crystal had the best surprise waiting for me at the campsite!

With Linley in tow, I parked by her and saw someone else get out of the car. Of course I was polite, but I thought it was strange that she would invite someone else along when we had talked about quality time with just the two of us (three of us including the pup!). Who greets me at my driver side door but Donna! Donna has been one of my best friends since high school, and that’s how I actually met Crystal, and I started crying. Donna’s gesture and Crystal’s surprise were two of the kindest things anyone has ever done for me. The entire weekend solidified that there are great people in my life, and there is always light in the darkness.

We spent the entire weekend reading tarot cards, floating down the river, cooking delicious meals and drinking by the campfire. I got great sleep both nights, and had such a great weekend away with two of my best girlfriends. I can’t wait to do it again!