The day before Linley’s gotcha day was extra special. We took Linley to another annual Bark in the Park, which is hosted by the Detroit Tigers every year. This was Linley’s and my fifth or sixth game, my mom’s third, my dad’s second and Alex’s first!
Linley was so excited to be back and get all these treats (and attention!) like he had in years past. I was equally as excited because seeing Alex see this through his eyes was heartwarming.
We loved seeing all the other pups nearby, and simply being together as a family meant so much to me. It was a great pre-celebration of Linley’s big day!
After exploring the Empire Bluff Trail with Linley again and with Alex for the first time, we returned to a new beach that we stumbled upon before lunch. I can’t believe I’d lived in Michigan with Linley for six years, and yet I’d never even heard of Elberta Beach! It was truly a hidden gem.
I love hearing Lin walk on paneling!
We checked it out at lunchtime, and knew this was where we wanted to be at sunset. It was a massive beach with some smaller dunes, not too many people, some dogs and a cute pier with a small lighthouse at the end of it. Running along the beach with Alex and Linley is a staple of a solid “Tracey Trio” vacation, and that evening was no exception.
One of my favorite sights
I get emotional whenever I look at photos or watch videos from our beach trips. I can’t imagine myself anywhere else other than with my two brown-eyed boys with our toes in the sand and smiles on our faces.
Alex, Linley and I spent time with loved ones in Michigan a couple weeks ago, and it felt good to be back. Our experience there solidified long-term friendships, drew lines in the sand with others, and I was able to meet three virtual friends in person for the first time. While certain chapters closing is always hard, the closure and healing I found in my home state was not only meaningful, but necessary.
Alex had only been to Michigan one other time (in the dead of winter, so he could appreciate the lovely summer-into-fall weather!). Linley hadn’t been back since we moved to Atlanta in 2023, and my first time back last year was a flop. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it again anyway: this trip was exactly what we all needed.
Meeting Veronica and Nathan for the first time
Hearing Lin’s steps on a new beachTaking Alex to Lin’s and my favorite hiking trail
Soaking in all the dune views
Enjoying a night under the stars
Waking up in the same yurt Lin and I stayed in three years agoLin’s and my sixth or seventh Bark in the Park, and Alex’s first!Seeing deer on Linley’s gotcha dayVisiting my mom’s classroom again before her retirementShowing Alex our favorite arboretumReuniting with NeilReuniting with Abbie (and Adam, not pictured!)Reuniting with Meg and Robbie!Meeting Madeline for the first timeBeing back in Corktown, Detroit
Media taken Saturday, September 5 – Friday, September 11, 2026 in Michigan.
I haven’t been to Detroit since moving to Atlanta in 2023, and it felt great to be back! When I lived in Michigan, my parents seldom went to Detroit with me, and Alex had never been, making it extra special.
For my dad’s birthday, we went to a Red Wings hockey game and although they lost, we had a ton of fun. Little Caesars was as energetic and fun as I’d remembered, and the guys cheered with their Labatt beers before we found our seats. It was awesome to be there again.
As we marched back to the car, we had to stop in the cold and drop another Linley sticker!
As we headed north to Ferndale, it had secondhand admiration of Detroit’s architecture through Alex. He was so cute looking out the window, pointing out all the museums (including the Detroit Institute of Art) and other beautiful, historic buildings. Sometimes we take a place for granted until we see it through another’s eyes.
Near my old house is one of the best local, Detroit-style pizza places, and I knew this would be the perfect spot after a game. Como’s is a place I didn’t go to often, but every time I went it was special.
The rest of our evening was laid back and easygoing, just the way we all prefer it to be. Of course I had some flashbacks of my brother, my ex and former friends of mine, but luckily it didn’t dominate my time in Michigan. At times I wish things with my brother and former best friends were different, but I also know things happen for a reason, and I wouldn’t have ever met Alex or moved to Atlanta otherwise. I hope to return with Alex (and Linley next time!) so we can experience the beauty of Michigan in the summertime.
Media taken on Saturday, January 31, 2026 in Detroit & Ferndale, Michigan.
My family is complicated, and if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you probably already know that. But one thing that consistently awesome about my family – and something I always love – is our matching holiday pajamas.
Alex is newer to the tradition but it’s always great to see him embrace it as well. This year, Linley wasn’t able to be in Michigan with us, but my mom shipped a matching winter coat his way. We all love the movie Dodgeball, so we had to sport our “dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge” shirts; my mom even bought dodgeballs so we could take some goofy pictures with them!
Sometimes it’s the little things that I hold onto in my family, like these goofy photos, the thoughtful gesture or even visiting with my parents first thing in the morning.
Sometimes the little things can add up to a bigger thing, and I’m holding onto that wherever I can. 💙
Photos taken Friday, January 30 & Saturday, January 31, 2026 in Fenton, Michigan✨
Last Saturday, Alex and I felt like kids again while sledding up in Michigan. My parents still had some sleds and we headed to a hill I’d sled on as a kid all the time. My dad was so sweet to not only drive us there, but video us going down the hill!
I hadn’t went sledding in three or four years, and it’d been almost 20 years for Alex! We had a blast and it was so sweet to have these moments captured. I can’t wait for next time 🫶
And while we were sledding up in Michigan, Lin enjoyed some snow down here in Georgia!
Anyone who knows me knows what The Laundry means to me. It’s a restaurant in my small Michigan hometown and has been a meeting place between me and high school best friends, family and more. The drinks are amazing, the food is delicious and the dessert always feels like a warm hug. I’ve cried there, laughed there, laughed til I’ve cried there… it’s always been a happy place, even during hard times.
Last weekend, I was finally able to share this experience with Alex. And ironically enough, I was at The Laundry when I told my parents I was moving to Atlanta and that I’d be joining a dating app, which led me to Alex in the first place. In recent years, my Friday dinners with my parents got me through some pretty dark times, so being back with my husband for the first time was extremely special.
It was my dad’s birthday the day after, so the staff brought him out a candle (even when he didn’t want dessert!)
And although Linley wasn’t there with us in person, he was there in spirit (and was living it up with our aunt, uncle and his cousin, Ellie!)
Media taken Thursday, January 29-Saturday, January 31
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.✨
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. 💛
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!Golfing at sunrise with my dad 💛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 shedMaking new friends with an old one 💛A fun night in Ann Arbor with Emily and Zac!Morning walks with LinleyBrewery Nyx last weekend 🍻Ladies night!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.
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.
I have so much to be grateful for heading into my final month in Michigan 💛
Lunch with my favorite ladies!Dinner with Emily and the ‘rents!Meeting new people and eating great food!Concerts with Emily!Reuniting with my cousin and meeting her fiancé!Hanging out with my brother from another mother!Celebrating my dad’s milestone!
