Inspiration surrounds us and to tap in, I love a good Sunday morning stroll. I've been taking them each week since I relocated to Germany over two years ago. They've become a very big part of my life, a ritual of the senses. I'm not a very structured person, I tend to like to work and do most other things when I feel creative because then I know I'll do them well... but a little routine on a quiet Sunday morning feels nice.

Usually I'll visit a park, garden or walk through the big city forest behind my house. I love the forest... the scent of forest air, fresh pine, firewood burning in a nearby chimney, that crisp cool wind against my face - it's both calming and refreshing. A sunny sky is not a requirement for me, in fact it's often a melancholy gray that feels far more comforting - like a large wool blanket lovingly wrapped around my shoulders.

My idle walks usually end up in the city, wandering through alleys, exploring both familiar and unfamiliar streets and always snapping photos with my iPhone. I love going from the forest to the city, only a few steps apart, because contrasts excite me. The organic versus the planned, hard lines then soft curves, dirt then stone. Often Sunday mornings allow me to compose song lyrics and construct poems in my mind, to explore my imagination and to go so deep in my inner world that my walks become almost dream-like where I'm altering how the story will continue and where it will end.

After 90 minutes or so, I usually require a cappuccino (smile) and brunch so I begin searching for a cozy spot to people watch and linger a bit. If the cafe is playing show tunes, jazz, or a little Frank and Dean... all the better. For me, this is the perfect Sunday. If I end up in a quaint theater for a matinee, perhaps something along the lines of Bright Star, Das Parfum (a bit dark can be good) or Lost in Translation, then I'm double lucky. I love a good melancholy film on a Sunday afternoon. In the evening, a glass of red wine in a cozy bar huddled around a table with good friends or breaking bread with cheese and olives at home - perfect. I've just had the perfect happy ending to my day.

When most people meet me, at least from what I'm told, they perceive me as being witty, charming, fun-loving and outgoing. Well, thank you because those are very nice things and I'm happy that most people are so sweet in describing me. I certainly do love a good time and people are my fuel. Though I must admit that too much time in the spotlight drains me so I need weekly "time outs" to escape crowds and light-hearted  surface conversation to go deep and to simply live inside of my own head. Can you relate at all? These Sunday pauses do this. I can be a tad moody, even melancholy, very dramatic, and I'm quite a romantic and extremely passionate about so many things - especially behind closed doors or around my dearest friends. If I don't have a weekly space for myself to refuel, I approach a new week with little zeal to do the things that I love.

That is why I found myself incredibly inspired this past weekend spending Sunday morning roaming Berlin. I didn't have long, but in just a short time I snapped the photos in this post on my iPhone and found inspirational glimpses all around me in this most fascinating city. I hope my Sunday morning stroll inspired you a little too and I hope to get back to Berlin next week for more of the same. It's nice to take a pause each week to reflect on what makes us, well US -- isn't it?

Sundays make me happy.

What about you, do you have a weekly tradition that you employ to center yourself and explore your imagination and creativity?

(images: holly becker)