Last week, my wife Andrea and I celebrated our 25th anniversary in the Maldives. It was an amazing experience. I’m more in love with her now than ever, and I’m excited to see what the next 25 years will bring.
Despite the ongoing conflicts in Iran, Ukraine, and other regions, traveling to the opposite end of the world felt very much like business as usual. Our massive international flights were full. Airports were busy and operated smoothly. New construction was happening all over the place. Most people we encountered were in good spirits and treated one another with respect.
On our small island in the Maldives, we met people from all over the world—England, Sweden, Italy, Australia, India, South Korea, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and even Russia. During a whale shark snorkeling excursion, we spent time with a family from Russia who shared their hopes of sending their 13-year-old son to the United States or Canada one day, as he’s showing promise in hockey. Despite our political differences, we shared a cordial conversation and a common concern for the well-being of our children.
Throughout our trip, I observed firsthand the resilience and interconnectedness of the global economy. Everywhere we went, we felt welcomed and well cared for. Experiences like this reinforce a belief I hold strongly: while headlines often focus on what’s going wrong, there is far more going right in the world.
That doesn’t diminish the seriousness of the conflicts we all hope will end soon. But it does highlight the fact that most people, regardless of where they live, are working hard to support their families and contribute in small but meaningful ways to a better world.
This quiet, persistent progress is what ultimately drives long-term economic growth. It’s a big part of why I remain optimistic about the future.
