Cape Verde may have exited its first FIFA World Cup in the round of 32, but the archipelago left North America with something potentially more valuable than a trophy: global recognition. Suddenly, one of the tournament's smallest nations had millions of people asking where it was or how to visit it.

The soldier's eyes found mine across the room. His coat was tattered, his expression somewhere between exhaustion and resolve, the battlefield raging around him with no sign of mercy. His gaze suggested he knew how it would end. I did too. The painting had frozen that moment in time, speaking volumes without a word.

Farm visits are no longer just a quick stop for maple syrup, a hayride, a U-pick afternoon, or a photo beside a red barn.