Wow what a week

Rapid City is an incredibly friendly, stunningly beautiful city. In one week, I have made several acquaintances and driven over 200 miles just exploring the countryside looking for a place to live. Unfortunately, my beloved dogs will prevent me from living in any of the aesthetically-pleasing areas I have searched (extensively). It's lookin' like a humbling experience in a transitional trailer park is the only thing available at this time. Fortunately the little trailer has a tiny cat door, so my miniature Dachshund will be able to let herself out to use the restroom. Unfortunately the cat door smells to have been installed after the cats marked the length of single-wide tin and carpet for their very own.
The YMCA here is as amazing as everything else. There's even a towel service and a special swim-suit water extractor! Which will make working out rather convenient. There's a special Express for Women workout room. It's express because you work out on a timer instead of counting reps; hence the title "express." It was created with the working woman's lunch hour in mind. There are two lap pools (one 8 lane and one 4 lane) for exercising and a huge indoor family pool that is comparable to the Anderson YMCA's outdoor pool. There's a Youth room for older kids while parents work out. The youth room contains a Wii with several controllers, several couches and pool tables, air hockey and other table games, 3 computers at the computer station, a snack bar, and special-entry access to the basket ball courts if that's not enough.
If I choose to live here for several years, I'm just not sure I want to live in a little tin box. So I've started researching subsidized housing closer to my job and in the city. There are 5 Catholic churches within the city and several in the surrounding areas. The Catholic school, St. Elisabeth Seton, goes through high school and offers college scholarships to students! I'm volunteering tonight at the neighboring Cathedral, Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
When I decided to relocate to SD, I wrote to the Rapid City Chamber of Commerce for a relocation guide. And I'm glad I did. On Thursday, I attended the Young Professionals Group social sponsored by the Chamber. I met several chamber Board members as well as the printer who designed and printed my relocation guide! The social was hosted in the print shop this month, and I look forward to seeing everyone again at next month's social. Since I had been in South Dakota for a mere 4 days by that time, it was easy for me to strike up a conversation with each of the professionals who attended and they all made me feel very welcome.