There are days when everyone seems busy.

Your friends have plans. Your family has somewhere to be. Your calendar is strangely empty, and before you know it, you've spent another afternoon at home scrolling through your phone, wondering what you could have done instead.

But what if an empty afternoon didn't have to feel like a missed opportunity?

For this week's Casper on a Budget, we're changing the way we look at going out alone.

Instead of waiting for someone to make plans with you, why not make a plan for yourself?

One place to start is The Nicolaysen Art Museum, or The NIC, in downtown Casper.

For just $5 for adults, you can walk through the museum, explore its exhibitions, take your time with the artwork, and give yourself permission to spend a few hours somewhere without having to rush. The museum is located at 400 E. Collins Drive and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

And honestly, there's something different about experiencing a museum alone.

You don't have to keep pace with anyone else.

You don't have to pretend you're interested in something just because the person you're with is. You can stop in front of a piece of artwork for as long as you want or walk right past it.

Maybe you'll find something beautiful.

Maybe you'll find something strange.

Maybe you'll see a piece that makes absolutely no sense to you.

That's okay, too.

Art doesn't always have to be understood to be enjoyed. Sometimes it's enough to notice what makes you stop. Maybe it's the colors.

Maybe it's the subject. Maybe it's simply the fact that you can't stop looking at it.

And that's where the idea of a solo date becomes more than just finding something to do.

It's giving yourself time without an agenda.

You could bring a notebook and write down the piece you liked most. You could sketch something that caught your attention. You could take your time reading about the artists.

Or you could do absolutely none of those things and simply walk around.

There's no right way to spend your museum date.

That's the beauty of going alone.

Afterward, you can keep the afternoon going.

 Since The NIC is downtown, you could take a walk around the area, find a coffee shop, grab a small treat, or simply sit somewhere and enjoy the fact that you actually got yourself out of the house.

You don't have to turn it into an expensive day.

That's what makes this a perfect Casper on a Budget idea.

Start with a $5 museum admission. Add a reasonably priced coffee or snack if you'd like.

Suddenly, you've created an afternoon for yourself for less than the price of many traditional nights out.

And maybe the bigger idea is this: you don't always need someone else to make your day interesting.

Casper has plenty of places worth exploring, but sometimes we're so used to seeing our own city that we stop noticing what's around us. We drive past buildings, attractions, parks, and local businesses without ever giving ourselves a reason to stop.

A solo date gives you that reason.

It can be a little uncomfortable at first. There may be a moment when you wonder if people are looking at you because you're alone.

They're probably not.

And even if they are, who cares?

You're spending your afternoon doing something you wanted to do.

There is no rule that says enjoying your city requires a group chat, a date, or someone else saying, “Are you free this weekend?”

Sometimes you just need to say it to yourself.

“I'm going.”

So, if you've been waiting for someone to make plans with you, maybe this week you don't have to wait.

Put on something comfortable. Head downtown. Spend $5. Walk through The NIC.

Look at some art. Find something that makes you pause. Grab yourself a coffee afterward if you feel like it.

Make an afternoon out of it.

Because a good date doesn't always need two people.

Sometimes, you are the plan.

At Casper Buzz, we're always looking for the local stories, creative projects, community activities, and people that give Casper its character.

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