A Des Moines Resident

I finally am starting to feel like I officially live in Des Moines. Up until now, I still kind of felt like I was visiting Kevin or my aunt, whom I live with. Today after I got done nannying, I drove down to Gray's Lake in downtown Des Moines, about 10 minutes from the home I nanny at. This made me feel like I can do things on my own in my new city. I know how to get around without my trusty GPS. Gray's Lake is a man-made lake with about a 2-mile perimeter. You can paddle boat, kayak, canoe, or run, bike, or walk on the trail going around the lake. I chose to go for a run. I enjoyed "people watching" as I ran, and it seemed to make the run go a little quicker. Kevin and I have decided to meet each other at Gray's Lake after work and run together. He runs faster than me and I like to go at my own pace, so we will run in opposite directions and meet each other at the end. I think this will motivate both of us to work out.

Other activities/places I have taken advantage of while living in Des Moines:

*Iowa Cubs games at Principal Park downtown

*Downtown Des Moines farmer's market on Saturday mornings. This things is HUGE!

*West Des Moines farmer's market at "Historic Valley Junction" on Thursday evenings. They have a live band and it's just a great atmosphere.

*Des Moines Fast Pitch League every Wednesday night

*Mickey's Irish Pub-- Found our DSM karaoke bar! They also have live music on the weekends. It reminds me of the OP back in Cedar Falls.

*Activities with the kids-- Science Center of Des Moines, Blank Park Zoo, Ashby Park

*High Life Lounge downtown is probably our favorite place to eat-- it looks super sketchy and has shag carpet inside. They also advertise they don't stock beer that was introduced after 1970. But the food is very cheap and very good! I also love the atmosphere.

*I also saw a sign for "Yoga in the Park" every Saturday morning at Gray's Lake... for free! I have been wanting to try yoga and I think this would be the perfect opportunity.

I'm sure I'm missing some things. But the point is, I'm starting to take advantage of all Des Moines has to offer. I think I'll be perfectly happy spending a few years here. Every time I do something new, I take a mental note so I can bring future visitors to do all these fun things!