I don’t know about you, but lately it can feel like the world is working overtime to divide itself.

Borders feel harder. Visa restrictions continue tightening. Immigration policy has become increasingly politicized. Travel — something that should fundamentally connect humanity — increasingly feels trapped inside bureaucracy, friction, and all the ways countries seem determined to make movement more difficult.

And yet over the last couple of weeks, something remarkable has happened.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has quietly reminded all of us what the world looks like when people choose connection over division.

This year’s tournament is the largest in history: 48 nations, 104 matches, 16 stadiums spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Millions of people crossing borders. Millions more opening their communities to visitors arriving from every corner of the world.

And despite all the complexity that comes with moving people across continents, the stories emerging have been exactly what many of us needed.

Japanese supporters staying behind after matches to quietly clean entire sections of stadiums — because naturally, Japan continues to set the standard for civilized behavior.

Police officers in Boston kicking soccer balls through city streets alongside Scotland’s legendary Tartan Army supporters.

And one of my favorite moments so far — local residents in Lawrence turning out in force at the training grounds of University of Kansas simply to cheer on Algeria’s national team as they prepared for the tournament.

No politics.

No agenda.

Just people showing genuine excitement for people who come from somewhere else.

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to catch Scotland’s opener against Haiti in Boston.

And honestly… it was fantastic.

On one side, thousands of Scots somehow consuming beer at a pace science should probably study. On the other side, an incredible Haitian fan section bringing nonstop rhythm, dancing, music, and enough energy to make the rest of us realize we may have lost touch with joy somewhere along the way.

Two wildly different cultures.

Different languages. Different histories. Different backgrounds.

Zero hostility.

Nothing but celebration.

And sitting there, watching complete strangers trade songs, laugh together, swap scarves, and collectively lose their minds over ninety minutes of football, I found myself thinking about what travel has always represented at its very best.

We spend so much time talking about travel through the lens of destinations, luxury hotels, bucket lists, and curated experiences.

But the deeper value of travel has never been about where we go.

It’s about what happens when proximity replaces assumption.

Travel forces perspective.

It introduces humility.

It reminds us that most fear is built through distance, and most understanding begins the moment we step into someone else’s world.

The World Cup has always served as a reminder of this.

Back in 1994, hosting the tournament helped permanently change America’s relationship with soccer and paved the way for an entirely new sporting culture. In 2010, South Africa introduced the world to a continent too often misunderstood through headlines alone.

And here we are again.

Millions of people crossing borders, embracing differences, supporting one another, sharing traditions, and proving something I think all of us could use a reminder of right now.

The world works better when we know each other.

And the fastest way to know each other…

Is to go see the world.

Right now, with everything going on around us —

The world feels pretty good.

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Travel has never simply been about seeing new places. It has always been one of humanity’s greatest tools for understanding one another.