Freiburg holds the key to my heart. It is the most magical place I have ever been. Every day I thank the Universe for its goodness in bringing me here. It is the reward, I suppose, for trusting in its message even when I had no other reason but to believe.

This town is so incredible that even everyday encounters like a visit to the dentist’s office can turn into a mystical experience.

On Wednesday I had such a moment.

The dentist smiled at me from her perch on the third floor windowsill. Nestled in the dentist’s chair, I swallowed my nervousness.

The dentist’s office is one of my least favorite places. But I go because dental pain is even worse.

To my left her husband smiled widely at me, searching my eyes as if he were looking for a treasure.

“Welcome, Christine. We’ve been waiting for you.”

I could hear a stifled giggle coming from the dental hygenist. Had I just stepped onto a movie set?

I looked around the room for the clapboard and director’s assistant. Nada.

This was real. And it was happening to me.

You see my former dentist, whom I adored, graciously told me she has a friend in Freiburg with a great practice of her own. They had gone to University together. And she promised me I’d be in good hands.

Looking at the gleam in my new dentist’s eyes and her genuine delight in being right there with me now, I knew I was.

My former dentist must have called her Freiburg friend in advance because she chatted with me as if she knew a lot about me. Then she informed me that her office charges a third of what most around town do — And for my son? Well, they don’t charge at all.

“My husband has been a dentist for thirty years. He doesn’t need the money.”

I looked under my bib to see if they had secretly hid a microphone. Nope. Nothing.

They did a super, yet gentle job cleaning my teeth, then told me all was well. That my teeth were spectacular. And my son’s too.

As I reentered the receptionist area, the dentist followed me and assured me I could call her any time. You know, just to chat and answer any questions I had about Freiburg. She even referred me to a great internist in case I needed that too. I almost hugged her. I had never felt so welcomed in a dentist’s office in all my life.

The Freiburg sparkle is everywhere. Even the vegetation bounces with delight for the mere sake of its own beingness. You don’t have to prove yourself here. In fact, your existence alone is more than enough.

I can honestly say that, for the first time in my life, I have finally – finally — come home.