Things People Say When They Find Out You’re New to Casper

People sometimes say weird things to you when you're the new kid in town. That's especially true in Casper. Here are a few of my favorites that have actually been said to me during my first six months in the area.

When you're trying to get to downtown, take 1st Street, not 2nd

This was a great tip that has proved itself time and again as the best way to navigate to downtown Casper from the eastern part of town. 2nd Street is a main drag in Casper, but not for downtown.

It's not windy (followed by maniacal laughter)

I'll never forget my first week in Casper. I mentioned that I had heard it was windy here. A couple of locals said with a straight face "Oh, it's not really windy" then walked away laughing hard like an evil genius.

If your vehicle breaks down, you can leave it at Walmart

I must admit that I was a bit surprised the first time (yes, there have been several) that I picked up a nail in my tire here in Casper. I was told that it wasn't unusual to have a vehicle break down and leave it in Walmart parking lot until you can deal with it. Sure enough, more than once I'll be walking across the parking lot and there will be a vehicle with a flat tire sitting in a parking spot. Weird.

If you had lived here longer, you would have known that

Well, duh. Most people in Casper have been super nice when they found out that my family just moved to town a few months ago. But, there are a select few that get really snarky when you ask a question. Here's an example: We recently asked you what month you put away your winter clothes. A couple of Facebook responses began with "If you had lived in Casper longer, you would have known". Again I say "duh". Here's a breaking news alert. God didn't ask me where I wanted to be born. I can wish it had been Casper, but it wasn't. I got here as fast as I could. Gee whiz.

Casper is how America used to be

I love this one and I do believe it's true. If you've lived in Casper for a long time, you may not realize this. But, it's not common in other places to speak to strangers you see at stores. Honor has unfortunately become a rare commodity in some parts of America. In Casper, it's easy to take this for granted. I can't tell you how much I enjoy making eye contact with someone in a parking lot on my way into a store, saying hello and actually having a conversation. That is how America used to be. Most places I've been in this country, that just doesn't happen anymore. In Casper, it does and that's one of the many reasons my family loves it here.