Hi! Hello! It's me, Alicia! I'm back, and I'm writing to you from the clouds yet again. I was serious the last time when I said we should only write our editors’ letters from 30,000 feet. Does anyone else feel like they can accomplish way more from up here? I think it has something to do with the unofficial rules of the airways; like how people who would never drink tomato juice sans vodka, drink it by the glassful, or how calories don't count up when you’re at such high altitude, so a meal consisting of Sour Patch Kids and Auntie Anne’s Pretzels is totally acceptable. Or, how you'll find yourself bawling (in public) while watching that rom-com you’ve seen a million times.
Anyway, The Fourth of July is upon on this very weekend (!!), which in my opinion is the best holiday. It’s the only one without drama, without the need for presents and tons of superfluous consumerism, and hasn’t been taken over by Hallmark. All that The Fourth of July cares about is fireworks, BBQ, games, swimming, cold beers, bonfires, s’mores—the good old fashioned summer stuff, y’know?
Keeping that in mind, when packing for this kind of feel-good holiday—you only really need a few key things. 1. Your favorite summer tote bag 2. A stripey one-piece that you can wear all day 3. And a pair of high-waisted denim shorts (America’s fabric of choice) to throw over the aforementioned bathing suit taking you straight into the evening’s lobster bake, no costume change needed. As for the toiletry bag—toothbrush, a multi-tasking BB cream/sunscreen, mascara, and a dewy highlighter. That’s it.
And since I’m sure a lot of you will be traveling, whether fighting through TSA lines at the airport, via ferry to your island of choice, or sitting elbow to elbow in the car en route to the summer house you and your friends rent every year (hopefully reading one of these Cov-approved books). While doing so may I suggest catching up on everything we have going on this week at The Coveteur? I’ll give you a sneak peek, but stay tuned for the one makeup product you should actually add to your summer beauty bag (no, it’s not SPF), the drink we’ve replaced our morning iced coffee with (surprisingly, not rosé but check back again come August) and our guide to getting out of New York City—if only for 24 hours (just in case you still don’t have weekend plans). All we ask is that once you’ve arrived you put down your iPhone (Snapchat and Instagram won’t miss you, promise), close every internet tab you have open, switch on airplane mode and lose your chargers. It’s what Fourth of July would want.