Sitting in the car as we left the airport, the snow floating gently to the, already white, ground, I knew I was going to like Nova Scotia. The randomly forested hills of deciduas trees would have looked forlorn and austere if it weren’t for the intermingled coniferous trees adding shades of green to what was a white canvas of a day. Being late winter, the snow had piled up and not had chance to melt, even the forest floors were covered as well as the trees them...

Breaking what wasn't quite yet deep sleep, the objectionable noise pouring from my alarm, filling my room and waking me was not welcome at 05:00, after less than four hours sleep, but was necessary. I arose not feeling like I had any sleep at all but instead like I had stayed up all night and acquired a dull pain behind my eyes, my body telling me, in its own way, that I might need some more sleep at some point - I didn't care, I was going to Canada! I was in pl...