Oh, Canada!

I am sitting in my room at the Westin in Canada with Kristen Forde, who is taking a nap. Finishing up the last of my work from Ohio State so that I am ready to dive into my work on the boat tomorrow. 
Halifax is grey. There are trees everywhere and it is deeply wooded, but this made for a beautiful drive from the airport. I don't think I have ever seen a place this thick with greenery in person, and felt like I was flying over the Amazon as we arrived. I keep trying to compare this city to one I've seen, but am at a loss. The architecture is very similar to American architecture, though much more eclectic and with much more variety from building to building. Downtown Halifax is right on the water, and it was neat to see the ship in the distance as we pull over the bridge into the city. There is some french language on signs here and there, which is neat to be able to understand. Otherwise, I'd say Canada is a wannabe America.
I met several girls at the airport. One girl, Megan, had to be on the boat this morning, but missed her connection and stayed in New York overnight. She was late on the boat and arrived with no luggage other than what was on her back. This made me realize how lucky I am to have had things work out for me up until this point. She is from Minnesota, and we're going to have some rivalry on our hands come football season!
Our cab driver gave a quick tour of the town as we drove through, though we could barely understand him. He spoke of his son, who he called his "Little Furler," which is apparently Canadian for "Fellow." We thought he was saying brother and.. this got confusing. 
There is a meet and greet tonight, and I can't wait to make more friends. It's a trip to imagine that these people are going to be the people that I can't imagine my life without in just a few short months - there's no telling what's in store. This is only just the beginning..