I made a promise to myself that I would try not to compare my experience in Côte d’Ivoire to that of Cabo Verde because it feels a bit unfair to each country. I would never want to diminish anyone’s desire to visit a place, even if the place is challenging (in my opinion). However, I am also human, and comparing and contrasting is a skill that we teach starting in 2nd grade, so I’m really good at it by now. And I love a good Venn Diagram.

The most significant immediate difference between my experiences in this country and those in the former one was my entrance. If you recall from last year (or, actually, you might not remember, but I will never forget it), Tim and I arrived in Abidjan with large bags, no clue, and no ride. With sweat pouring down my white face, I was holding on to every shred of courage I had to figure out how to get to the hotel when our driver was a no-show. Nothing prepared me more for my year living in Abidjan than that one moment in time.

Fast forward to Praia, and after a harrowing and exhausting flight schedule (thanks, FlyAmerica Act), I arrived in Praia to the delightful company of a woman named Maria, who works at the Embassy. Not only was Maria waiting for me at the exit, but she had a car waiting too. As she saw me, she ran over and hugged me. Ah, the difference! That simple gesture automatically also made her my new best friend. I’m still working on letting her know the increased (and immediate) status of our friendship.

Over the next couple of days, I had meetings related to my job and briefings on security. While the Embassy in Abidjan resembles a futuristic fortress, complete with numerous security checkpoints to access the publicly accessible educational space, the Embassy in Praia is delightful in its simplicity. Yes, there are guards, but it’s just a building in the center of town. If you didn’t know if it was an Embassy, it would look like any other building with an American flag out front. The chill nature of the building extends to the staff, as I was even allowed to meet the Ambassador personally in her office. During that meeting, she invited me to join her weekly yoga class. As my mouth hung open with delight and surprise, I think she believed that I had never done yoga before. She told me, “Don’t worry, the teacher will go slow so you can follow along. We even have extra mats you can borrow.” Hell yes, I want to do yoga with the Ambassador! Downward dog to my emotional rescue!

A few things I’ve learned so far:

• There are more people from the Cape Verdean diaspora living in Massachusetts than Cape Verdeans are living on the 10 islands of Cape Verde.
• Brockton, Massachusetts, is known as the 11th island of Cape Verde.
• Everyone here is a Celtics fan.
• People here are very fitness-oriented, regardless of their age.

Someone told me that people in Cabo Verde take their health so seriously because historically, there was not great health care available, so prevention is the best medicine. However, after doing a bit of research, it seems that there has also been a very successful and targeted fitness campaign called MexiMexê, which is Cabo Verdean Creole for “move move”. They offer free public exercise classes in parks and squares, and there are numerous free outdoor gyms along walking routes. The success of this program is evident during my morning walks, as I am nearly run off the path by large groups of seniors chatting and speedwalking.

So, things are going really well so far in the country where the motto is “No Stress.” In fact, the lack of stress is stressful because I am still waiting to teach my first class. When things finally start, I know it will feel like an avalanche, so I’m trying to enjoy the calm before the storm. I also keep trying to get a date to have coffee with my BFF Maria. Unfortunately, she has other friends and apparently a previously existing social life that did not include me. Don’t worry, I’m not giving up yet.