November seemed a lot calmer than October, but things are changing just as the leaves did.
November was a good month and I’m excited to practice more mindfulness in scheduling, peacefulness and achieving my goals.
November 2025 Gratitude🍂
photography
Second annual November Stone Mountain hike
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.
Until next time, Stone Mountain! ✌️
Media taken Friday, November 28, 2025
Others’ words // getting out of my own head
During my afternoon walk with Alex and Linley, I started talking about the rumination I was having during my morning walk with Linley. I couldn’t stop thinking about some harsh realities with certain friends. I couldn’t stop thinking about the radical acceptance I’ve been working so hard at in therapy. I couldn’t stop thinking about the radical honesty I needed to communicate with my friends, and myself. Boundaries. When to throw in the towel when I recognize patterns in certain people.
The version of me that knows the truth can see that I gave it my all with my brother, my ex, former friends, other family members and people in my life. The version of me that knows the truth knows that no matter what I would’ve done different, I probably still would’ve been lashed out at by certain friends, questioned by others, and judged by many people in my life. No matter what, I couldn’t have changed their views of me or the outcome of our relationship now.
The version of me that struggles with radical acceptance and honesty believes that it’s all my fault. Someone I had set boundaries with lashing out at me is all my fault. My ex leaving me is all my fault. My brother’s and my lack of a relationship is all my fault. My family’s judgment of me is all my fault. My friendships of ten plus years ending is all my fault. My not fitting in at certain workplaces is all my fault. You see the pattern here…
How can I work on coping with the fact that people have hurt me? All I want to do is blame myself. How can I realize that some relationships weren’t meant to last? All I want to do is reach out to Alissa, Danielle, Jaclyn, Dani, Terry, Brandon, Cass… but I know if I did, I would either be treated horribly, gaslighted or completely ignored.
I wish I’d learned how to communicate my feelings more effectively and in a timely manner, instead of telling Danielle “I don’t know what I did but just know I’ll always love you and you have a special place in my heart.” She probably thinks I ghosted her after ten years of friendship; what I really did was shield my pain because she did something that felt really unforgivable to me. But after four or five years of not speaking to her, who felt like a sister to me, does still eat me alive at times. It’s like that with quite a few people in my life, from my past.
But again: it’s “all my fault” and I carry all the weight and responsibility of others. It’s as though them hurting me is something I deserved, something that was my fault in the end.
How can I heal? How can I move on? My OCD and anxiety would love to know.
P.S.: I know deep down that I’ve never “thrown anyone away.” In fact, I held onto the pain and hurting for so long, that when I finally did say how I felt, friendships were ruined. But Brandon, a friend of over ten years, said this to me in the last message he’d ever sent me. When I go through a hard time, sometimes that sentence tears at me. ☹️
P.P.S.: I also know deep down that someone who would speak to me like this at all a) didn’t like that I had boundaries and/or said that I needed space while I was going through my divorce and b) doesn’t really know me like I had thought he did. In our last year or so of friendship, I constantly felt like my feelings were minimized and no matter what I said I had to walk on eggshells. So when I’d moved back to Michigan around the time he had also moved back, I couldn’t be around that or hear those things during my divorce finalization. Before that, Brandon had always been such a loving, caring friend, but something had changed when we were both going through our breakups. We couldn’t help each other the way we had before. And I have to accept that.
Charleston & Folly Beach, South Carolina
Linley and I had never been to Charleston until this weekend, and Alex hadn’t visited since he was a kid. We enjoyed Charleston and the surrounding area, and found the cutest AirBnB that made us feel right at home! We arrived on Friday feeling excited to check out the amenities and the neighborhood.
After checking out all the AirBnB and neighborhood had to offer, Linley snuggled up and Alex and I headed out for our food tour. We’d won these tickets at a silent auction at the Georgia Aquarium, and figured we’d take advantage since we were heading to Charleston anyway. The food tour was great, our host and people on the tour were lovely, and the food was absolutely delicious!
After the food tour, we came back, scooped up Lin, and grabbed dinner at an outdoor spot on the water. Although our food and drinks were nowhere near what it was like on the tour, it made us appreciate the food we’d had even more, haha. It was cute to see Lin get all the attention per usual, and he even got a free bandana!
We were hitting a wall because of what felt like our food comas, so we had a night in, enjoyed the hot tub and some wine we’d brought from home, and talked under the stars. Alex and I are usually talking during TV or long drives, so it was peaceful and much-needed to have a conversation with no other distractions (aside from the cute raccoons we saw in the trees!) Linley was outside with us, but had no interest in being near the hot tub (I’m pretty sure he thought it was a stew or witch’s cauldron or something, haha!) We all slept great that night!
Saturday morning, we headed to Folly Island to hit up the dog beach. The sand and sea were beautiful, and it was so much fun to check out a new place together.
Seeing these two walk, run and play on the beach together always makes my day! ^ 🥹
We continued strolling on that side of the beach for a while, because the water was calm, the beach was private and the shells were too good to pass up! Once we could tell Lin was getting tired of chasing after things, we decided to grab coffee and a snack in town, then head to the other side of the beach. On the other side, there was a pier that dogs weren’t allowed on, but at least we could explore underneath it…
The beach was so beautiful that it was hard to leave, but we knew it was time. We were craving brunch outside and found a place that one of my coworkers recommended to me, and it was delicious! Ellis Creek Fish Camp on James Island had the friendliest staff, the best grouper and shrimp and grits, solid Bloody Mary’s and an amazing R&B playlist that made us feel like we were back in Atlanta! 10/10 would recommend. It may not be our Hudson’s spot on Hilton Head Island, but it was a close second…
After brunch, we headed to a local dog park and bar in Charleston. Broken Leash was a ton of fun for all of us, and we always love taking Linley to these sorts of places during our family vacations (we did in Birmingham, Asheville and other places). We chatted with the locals, Linley had a blast playing with the big dogs, and enjoyed the sunshine a little longer.
We swung by one more brewery for a snack and a couple cocktails before heading back to the AirBnB to relax in the afternoon. Linley needed the nap, and Alex and I enjoyed some trash TV local to Charleston. The boys went on a long walk before dinner and then Alex and I headed to a great seafood restaurant just us two. We sat at the oyster counter and enjoyed some incredible soup, shrimp, oysters and fish. I think we were still full from the night before; that’s how good we ate in Charleston!
We were exhausted after dinner and I’d passed out like I normally do during the week at home (I love a 9 or 10pm bedtime haha!) Linley was clearly still tired, too. Until next time, Charleston!
Media taken Friday, November 14 & Saturday, November 15, 2025 in South Carolina.
Tybee Island fun
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. 🌅
Hilton Head encore une fois !
Once again, we were in Hilton Head Island on November first. It’s hard to believe almost two weeks have flown by since our third annual visit there as the Tracey Trio…
This place is incredibly special because this was Alex’s first beach experience with Linley in 2023, and where I proposed in 2024. This is exactly what I live for, and what life should be more about. It was special to share with our friends this time around, to see Lin run after his new favorite toy, and to eat at one of our favorite restaurants again.
Until next time, Hilton Head Island! 🥹🤗
Media taken Saturday, November 1st, 2025 on Hilton Head Island 🌊
Our third annual October Savannah trip
The title gives it away, but we love Savannah in October! Alex, Linley and I make our way down every October and have since 2023, and this year was a little different because our friends Courtney and Chris spent some time with us, too. But one costume and photo at Forsyth Park will always remain the same…
We decided to stay at the same AirBnB as 2023, and it was great to be in a familiar place in one of our favorite cities. Alex, Linley and I got in on Thursday (instead of Friday as usual), for an afternoon and evening just the three of us. We strolled by our favorite coffee shop and walked around the neighborhood like we do every year. Since we were there Halloween weekend this time, it was super cool to see all the decorations and you could really feel the spookiness and haunting nature of the city.
We checked out a new part of town for dinner and drinks; Starland District had some of the funkiest bars and overall had such a unique energy. We went to a spot upstairs for some sours, but went to their downstairs Smol bar for more good drinks, an awesome atmosphere and good conversation with locals.
For dinner, we stopped at Ardsley Station for more good drinks and amazing food. We sat outside by a huge fire with Linley, and it was so great to see everyone loving on him (as usual!) As much as we love our friends, Alex and I both said how grateful we are to have each other as best friends and favorite travel partners. Of course, Linley is always the glue and being with my two favorite fellas is the best feeling in the entire world.
Halloween morning was a little lazy and we slowly got around to meet up with Courtney and Chris. I took Lin on a walk around the neighborhood again, he made some friends, and we headed to our favorite brunch spot. It was fun to start seeing the city come to life and how some people were already in costume!
We had a great afternoon with Courtney and Chris, which started with brunch at Collins Quarter, strolling through Forsyth Park and other town squares and rows of homes with Spanish moss everywhere… In other words: I was in heaven! After all of that, we kept on walking to the river and enjoyed an afternoon of catching up, people (and dog!) watching, and cocktails before our evening pub crawl.
Once we got Linley tuckered out, we dropped him at the AirBnB and we met up with our friends again for a lovely dinner and cheesy bar crawl: the perfect way to spend Halloween in a haunted city! We went to another one of last year’s spots for dinner, then had the best time at our event. We were the “Spice Girls” and our costumes didn’t arrive in time, so Alex and I had makeshift ones. Throughout the night, we learned about some wild stories, tried a couple new bars and received compliments on our costumes. We all had a blast!
Another reason why we love being in Savannah is how close we are to the water. I’ll write about how we spent our Saturday in the next post 😉
Media taken Thursday, October 30 & Friday, October 31 (Halloween), 2025✨
October 2025 Gratitude
October was a month of some serious ups and a few downs, but all-in-all, November has some big shoes to fill. 😉
Another wonderful weekend✨ (pt. II)
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.
❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
Another wonderful weekend✨ (pt. I)
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✨
Finding community & growing strong friendships
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. 🍂
September 2025 Gratitude
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!
Traveling with the Traceys 