Location: West Village, New York City, NY

My Outfit: Top: A.L.C. / Pants: HM / Sandals: Tevas Earrings: Cailyn Minimalist / Purse: Michael Kors

This is my almost-17-year-old, Skyler. She doesn’t prefer to be public, so I usually keep her out of most of my posts here on Notes on Returning, and she occasionally makes a debut on social media - but even that’s pretty far and few between. She prefers to be out of the limelight, and I respect her wishes. However, our recent trip was worth noting. In June, we spent the day exploring New York City after she had a two-week Pre-College Summer Program with Vogue’s Fashion School. Earlier this year, she mentioned the program, and I told her if she applied and was accepted… we would figure out how to pay for it. Little did I know that I would be getting divorced at the time. My ex and I recently separated when I encouraged her, and somehow the Lord made the finances available with the help of several people investing in her education. I went ahead and flew up a few days before the program ended to spend some time with her in the city. It was such a beautiful experience for both of us. We hopped around the southern part of Manhattan and landed in the West Village.

West Village is an older part of the city, with ivy growing on the walls of brick buildings, and the evening sunlight casts a glow across the streets. It’s part vintage, intellectual and filled with people eating outside at French cafes, grabbing beans from the local roastery or playing chess in Washington Square Park. Some of the best vintage shops are here, like Hamlet’s Vintage where I picked up the most amazing pair of green pleated linen shorts (shared in this post). Let’s not forget about Cafe Reggio, which served New York its very first cappuccino in 1927. They have a tiramisu that will leave you breathless and it’s an original machine inside. It’s a place you go and feel tucked away to write or read or just enjoy a cup with a friend.

If you have a chance to visit anywhere in the city, West Village is the place for old souls, deep thinkers, poets and thrifters. Below is a roundup of some of the highlights from my afternoon with Skyler. Hope you enjoy and make sure to subscribe to Sunday Letters for more posts on our trip to New York City!