Meeting other singles in Nebraska

When considering the fact that most people tends to work too many hours, it can easily be concluded that meeting new friends can be quite a difficult task as we don’t have much time left in the day to dedicate to others.

Keeping this in mind, if you live in Nebraska and if you would like to meet other singles in your area, then you definitely need to check out these 100% free online nebraska chat rooms that will really come in handy for you whenever you decide to make new friends!

Top destinations of U.S travelers

Recession may be a real menace for many of us US citizens but the truth is that many US travelers have taken full advantage of the current financial trends to travel all around the world! In fact, you may read the msnbc.com article just below and discover some of the destinations that tend to attract large groups of US travelers:

In a year when economic indicators took Grand Canyon-sized plunges, it should come as no surprise that fewer Americans jetted off to foreign lands than they did the previous year.

What may be surprising is that the decline in U.S. outbound travel wasn't worse: Overall, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI), American travelers to foreign countries totaled 63.6 million in 2008, the last full year statistics are available, just a 1 percent decrease compared to 2007.

Whether the downward trend will continue throughout 2009 remains to be seen, but indicators are pointing toward further decreases. OTTI's data through May of this year show an overall 7.7 percent decrease compared with the same time frame in 2008.

Japan National Tourism Organization spokesperson Nori Akashi says Japan is “expecting just a flat line of the number of U.S. travelers this year.” Oscar Fitch, CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board, says Mexico had “a slight reduction of international visitors (1.9 percent) from January to May 2009.”

However, the ranking of overseas destinations is likely to be unchanged.

In many ways, the list of Americans' favorite destination countries looks similar to the way it did the last time Forbes Traveler checked in with OTTI — its figures for 2006, that halcyon era when the word "bailout" still conjured boats instead of banks.

Once again, proximity reigned, as neighbors Mexico and Canada topped OTTI's list of American destination nations. Mexico saw a 4 percent increase compared with 2007, while Canada welcomed 7 percent fewer American visitors than the previous year.

Fitch attributes the increase in Americans' travel to Mexico to the southern neighbor's "added value, proximity and diversity."

In tight economic times, Fitch adds, "Mexico's proximity to the U.S. and Canada makes it a perfect choice for North Americans seeking shorter vacations or destinations closer to home ... [and] Mexico offers travelers more value for their money, regardless of their budget."

"The quantity and quality of Mexico's tourism offerings," Fitch says, "enable the country to satisfy the needs and tastes of all tourism segments." He said Cancún, Mexico City and Los Cabos were the top three destinations visited by Americans last year. However, 2009 visitor numbers may be seriously affected by fears of the swine flu pandemic that broke out there in the spring of this year.

Even so, Mexico was one of the few winners in year-to-year comparisons. Several overseas destinations, like Italy and Germany, showed steep year-to-year declines, with 18 and 17 percent decreases in the number of American travelers that visited the countries in 2008 compared with the previous year.

Japan, too, experienced a notable slowdown in American travel, dropping seven percent from OTTI's figures for 2007.

"The major factor is definitely the economic slowdown," says Akashi. "Almost 50 percent of the U.S. travelers to Japan are business travelers, and the recession caused business trip cancellations to Japan as well."

Akashi adds that airline service changes also had an impact: "Some nonstop services to Japan have been canceled due to the business shift to China and the airline industry's financial slowdown."

For the 1.6 million Americans who did make it to the Land of the Rising Sun, Akashi says Tokyo was their No. 1 destination — 5.34 million people visited the capital.

In Germany, where 22 percent of American travelers visit on business, the weakened economy meant that an "upward trend that had endured around the world since 2003 was suddenly turned on its head [as] business trips were hit especially hard," according to the German National Tourist Board. Meanwhile, the top European destination for U.S. travelers — the United Kingdom — has a steady stream of tourists.

The best products from Tibet and Nepal

Even considering the fact that you may have never been to Nepal or Tibet before, the truth is that you can’t deny that you have already heard about the famous crystal singing bowls that many of your friends have at home!

Keeping this in mind, if you would also love to get the best deals on hand made on Tibet and Nepal items such as a glamorous Crystal Singing Bowl, then I would personally advise you to have a look at the website to which I have linked just above.

Some new party ideas for us!

Just as you probably know from your own experience, parties tend to provide us with some of the best moments in our lives! As a matter of fact, we should do our best in order to invite our friends every now and then so that we can party like there was no tomorrow, making sure that we live some memorable moments! So, if you are looking for new party ideas, read the following ideas on the msnbc.com article:

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In movies and lore, the bachelor party blowout is all but synonymous with exotic dancers and heavy partying. But today's best men are lining up different fetes for the groom-to-be, planning elaborate destination parties that don't include wild nights on the town. That's not to say that the traditional Las Vegas blowout is a thing of the past. "Vegas is still king, says Jake Schraufnagel, publisher of Today's Groom. “But more best men are arranging whitewater rafting trips, golf weekends and other extreme vacations.”

According to the most recent U.S. census, Americans are staying single for nearly five more years than their parents did. The average man walks down the aisle when he's 27.1-years-old; a quarter century ago, he would've been 23.2-years-old. (For women, it's 25.8 and 20.8, respectively.) This may explain why bachelor parties are changing, says Schraufnagel. "As the groom and his friends get older, they can afford a memorable weekend getaway for a bachelor party. Having more disposable income is a huge deciding factor in the bachelor party festivities"

Older grooms-to-be may also have different priorities than their younger counterparts. "A younger groom may have younger attendees who are single themselves with no wife to answer to at the end of the bachelor party," says Schraufnagel. "Guys are using the bachelor party as a reunion and a great opportunity to introduce new friends of the groom's to old friends from the past." The focus, then, shifts from a night at the strip club to a weekend to remember with the guys.

Almost 90 years after Zane Grey's "Tales of an Angler's El Dorado" thrust New Zealand's sportfishing into the global spotlight, God Zone remains a 'must-do' on any angler's bucket list. If the thought of a 10-pound brown trout slurping a dry fly in crystal-clear waters gets your groom-to-be's heart pumping, let the Kiwis show you the piscine riches that have made the country famous.

December, January, and February, are the best months to hook a pig on a dry fly — giving you a great excuse to leave sleet and snow behind. Base yourself at Owen River Lodge, where you'll have easy access to more than 30 streams and rivers with countless other options for helicopter fly-in opportunities. When you're not on the water, you won't be roughing it. Guests cottages line the 16-acre property's gardens and offer sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. And when it's mealtime, the lodge's chef will have you sampling the best cuisine New Zealand has to offer, using produce grown organically on-site.

It has been 40 years since the Florida Keys were a counterculture hotbed. Today, you're more likely to find Midwestern tourists with fanny packs than hippies in Volkswagen vans. One thing that has stayed the same is the glut of fishing opportunities in the waters surrounding the islands. Bonefish, tarpon and permit on the flats, or billsfish and wahoo offshore? But if you and your buddies like to dive and are looking for a new thrill, head to the Keys to try your hand at spear fishing in the area's waters. Key West-based Spearfishing Charters runs day and overnight trips to the virgin reefs scattered throughout the Marquesas Keys and The Dry Tortugas. Purists can ditch the tanks and hunt fish on a free-dive, chasing fish in 60-feet-deep waters as fast as your fins will carry you.

If warm-water sport isn't the groom-to-be's idea of a bachelor party blowout, options abound in the cold and wild. Grab your ice axe, crampons and ropes—and hook up with one of Iceland's many guides who know how to conquer the glaciers that cover 11 percent of this small island nation. Routes are available for all ability levels, but beware of Icelandic understatement when choosing your climbs. While Icelanders grade their routes using the same scale as climbers in the States, routes tend to be rated lower than comparable pitches in the U.S. When you've had your fill of scaling waterfalls, there's always a party going on in Reykjavik, the lively capital.

And if your bachelor is absolutely set on gambling during his last hurrah, then do it right. Monaco's famed Casino de Monte Carlo, located in the French Riviera on the Mediterranean Sea, is a gambling icon. The inspiration for the setting of Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, this casino has been giving guests thrills at the tables since 1863. When your party is ready for a rush in fresh air, the Alps are just a short helicopter ride away, and Heli Air Monaco will have you hitting the slopes with Europe's jet set in no time.

Regardless of which high-octane getaway you choose, the best advice is: Start planning now. "With so many schedules to coordinate," says Jake Schraufnagel, "you need three to four months in advance if you are planning to travel."

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