It’s fitting that I would arrive in Frankfurt on a Sunday.

Over the past year, Sunday has morphed into a day that is serious about rejuvenation for the week ahead. That means whatever is good for the soul is game. It usually includes, but is not limited to: hiking, yoga, church, wine, root chips, belly laughs, tea, pancakes, the Sunday New York Times, the beach. I think solitude on Sundays is important, but spending time with friends is necessary.

So, how do I adapt Spirit Sunday to my new normal?

My flight landed Sunday morning, and after an unusually uneventful airport arrival, my relocation agent took me “home”.

My temporary apartment is really bright and perfectly German. It’s on the top floor of a small building and the balcony overlooks tiled rooftops of pre-war houses with the skyscrapers of downtown Frankfurt behind them.

Having read Resistance by Anita Shreve on my flights, it’s hard not to think there’s a false back and hiding space behind the wooden armoire in my living room.

Across the street is a small Italian pizzeria. Today’s meal was authentic Italian food and a new German vocab word–rosenkohl (brussels sprouts). I now have to brush up on my Italian so I can chat with the cute owners more. I felt my grazies and ciaos were not sufficient. I think the owner asked me where I worked, but he could have asked me if I walked there. Still not sure. I just smiled and nodded. I think smiling and nodding is going to be my go-to for a while.

Spirit Sunday: Italian pizza, coconut tea, Mission Impossible dubbed in German, encounters with lovely people (new “friends”), and in the background, a beautiful city full of possibility.