I’m flying back to the United States on Saturday and I will be there for a few weeks with stops in Boise, Atlanta and of course Nebraska. I was reminded by a friend this week that it’s been seven years since I have been back to Nebraska. Although it doesn’t feel like it has been that long, it will be interesting to see how much has changed and I am looking forward to it. I will catch up with friends, say hi to my favorite journalism school professors and of course attend the Michigan-Nebraska game. Maybe I will organize a Corn Nation meetup while I am back. Stay tuned.

Let’s get to some questions. Have you ever ridden Amtrak? Have you booked any end of the year vacations yet? Have you ever lost an ID or passport while traveling? Have you traveled to a Blue Zone? What are the keys to living a long and happy life? Let’s hear your answers in the comments below.

Anyways...onto Flakes

Flakes

Week 5 Volleyball Preview - #2 Huskers Start B1G Play | Volleyball | Corn Nation

With four days in between matches, the Huskers are preparing to start B1G play on Friday when they take on Ohio State and Sunday vs. Minnesota. This will, hopefully, be enough time for OH Lindsay Krause and DS Laney Choboy to recover from injuries.

Revisiting My 15 Preseason Predictions for the 2023 Nebraska Football Season - Through Three Games | Football | Corn Nation

Well we are three games in, a quarter of the season, and it is time to revisit my 15 preseason predictions. Each prediction will get a outlook or verdict of some type. If you would like to see what I wrote about each prediction back on August 31st then you can find that here.

Nebraska Football Recruiting: Huskers Snag 25th Commitment of the 2024 Class in JD Crisp | Football | Corn Nation

At 6 feet tall and 190 pounds he is an exceptional athlete. So this is also a win for the Nebraska baseball team as well. He is the 25th commitment in the 2024 class. He is also the eighth player from Texas in the class as well. He currently has zero stars and is not ranked. I wouldn’t worry about that too much as Rhule has showed that he knows what he is looking for in athletes.

Huskers Ready for Big Ten Play After Navigating Nonconference Unbeaten | Volleyball | Hail Varsity

Heading into conference play, Nebraska is first in the Big Ten in hitting percentage at .299. The Huskers are also first in opponent hitting percentage at .101, which is also tops in the country. However, after holding their first seven opponents under .110, the Huskers allowed No. 4 Stanford to hit .218 and No. 22 Kentucky to hit .243, which is what had Cook’s attention.

Nebraska Volleyball Notes: Bergen Reilly Has Huskers Offense Humming | Volleyball | Lincoln Journal Star

Reilly ranks fifth in the Big Ten in assists at 9.63 per set. It is unlikely that Reilly will ever again have to be the setter for Nebraska in an outdoor match played in a massive football stadium when a swirling wind affected what the setters could do. But Reilly showed on that night that she could be really good at adapting quickly to a challenging situation and running the plays that give the Huskers the best chance to win.

Matt Rhule Talks Heinrich Haarberg, Nebraska vs. Louisiana Tech and More | Volleyball | Omaha World-Herald

The quarterback draws and run-pass options littered throughout Nebraska’s playbook remain a challenge physically more than a week after he exited the Huskers’ game at Colorado in the second half. “And then (scrambling) in the pocket, he’s probably not quite there, but he’s been a great teammate, was great on the sidelines, working at it inside,” Rhule told the Huskers Radio Network. “So really we have three quarterbacks that we feel like can go in the game, and all three of them are working really hard.”

Huskers Unveil 2024 Baseball Schedule | Baseball | Huskers.com

The Huskers begin the 56-game campaign in one of college baseball’s premier events at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown (Feb. 16-18) at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. Nebraska opens the season against Baylor, before taking on Texas Tech and Oklahoma. The following two weekends, Nebraska treks to Phoenix and Charleston, S.C., for consecutive four-game series at Grand Canyon (Feb. 22-25) and College of Charleston (Feb. 29-Mar. 3).

Big Ten Announces 2023-24 Conference Schedule | Men’s Basketball | Huskers.com

The 20-game slate opens with a pair of December matchups, as Nebraska travels to Minnesota (Dec. 6) and hosts Michigan State (Dec. 10). The matchup between the Huskers and Gophers is a rematch of the 2023 Big Ten Tournament opener and marks the seventh time in the last eight seasons that Nebraska has opened Big Ten Conference play on the road. Michigan State enters 2023-24 as one of the Big Ten favorites and is one of eight conference home opponents that reached postseason play a year ago.

Huskers Continue Conference Play at OSU, #4 PSU | Soccer | Huskers.com

After three-straight home matches, the Nebraska soccer team continues conference play as it hits the road to face Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State this week. The Huskers (6-1-2, 0-0-1 Big Ten) will meet Ohio State (4-2-2, 0-0-1 Big Ten) on Thursday starting at 5 p.m. (CT) at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. On Sunday, Nebraska battles the Nittany Lions (7-0-1, 1-0-0 Big Ten) starting at 12 p.m. (CT) at Jeffrey Field in University Park, Pa. Thursday’s match will air on BTN and Sunday’s game will stream on Big Ten Plus.

Schutz Claims Big Ten Weekly Honor | Cross Country | Huskers.com

The freshman from Lincoln opened her first season as a Husker with back-to-back meet titles. On Saturday, Schutz won her division at the Greeno/Dirksen Invite, covering the course in 17:10.66. She finished eight seconds before the next finisher and helped Nebraska to a second-place team finish. A week prior, Schutz crossed the line first in 17:17.18, propelling the NU women to a team title at the Augustana Twilight.

Travel

Airfares Are Dropping Ahead of Fall | Travel | Travel Pulse

Domestic airfare for the fall is down 29 percent from the summer, which is welcome news for travelers looking to book a flight ahead of the busy holiday travel period.

Where Do People Live the Longest? | Travel | Lonely Planet

As the modern wellness trend continues its march, more travelers are incorporating health-focused activities, from yoga retreats to vegan food tours, into their trips. Yet there are a handful of destinations around the world where wellness isn’t a conscious goal, but an ancient way of life, and whose inhabitants live remarkably long and happy lives. They’re called Blue Zones.

14 of the Best Things to Do in Florida | Travel | Lonely Planet

Whether savoring Haitian cuisine within the borders of Little Haiti in Miami or submerging yourself into the waters of a crystal-clear spring, Florida is a trove of experiences that will have you planning your next trip before you even leave.

Amtrak Is Adding More Late-Night Departures, With Fares Starting at Just $5 | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

Amtrak recently announced that it would be extending its new Night Owl fares to select trains operating between New York City and Boston. The fares apply to train departures from late evening to early morning, and are significantly more affordable than daytime tickets during peak hours.

Can You Fly Without An ID | Travel | Conde Nast Traveler

There are several types of IDs that will work for boarding a domestic flight. Chances are, you have at least one of them at home or in your wallet, even if your driver’s license mysteriously goes missing. If those aren’t an option—or you’re already at the airport—you can explain your situation to the TSA representatives at security, and they will likely work with you to get your identity verified through alternative means.

Grand Canyon to Close Several Trails and Campgrounds Amid Construction | Travel | Travel + Leisure

The expected closures, which will be implemented on a rolling basis through 2025, affect sections of one of the most popular trails in the park: the Bright Angel Trail. They come as the NPS prepares for the start of construction on a new water line, which will replace a more than 12-mile-long water pipeline first constructed in the 1960s and responsible for providing both potable water and fire suppression.

A Picturesque Island With the Cleanest Air on Earth | Travel | BBC

Dani Wright goes in search of some of the most pristine air on the planet and finds it in an inviting place with a forbidding name: Tasmania’s Cape Grim.

Explore New York City’s Eight-Best Jewish Eateries | Travel | BBC

Few places are as synonymous with Jewish food as New York City. Manhattan’s Lower East Side neighborhood served as a culinary cauldron when it was home to the largest Jewish community in the world in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, blending centuries of diasporic gastronomic knowledge.

The True Story of Coco Chanel’s Childhood: In Search of Gabrielle | Travel | BBC

Until Gabrielle Chanel became Coco, she left barely a footprint. However, by tracing her history through rural France, Justine Picardie has been able to piece together her childhood.

Last But Not Least

What a soundbite!