As my time in Newfoundland comes to a close, I can’t help but look back at the journey with a mix of pride, laughter, and just a touch of sore fingers (thanks to those sea buckthorn thorns).
From Springdale, where I first set up my Starlink and cluster in a little cabin, to Newtown, where roof repairs, yarns, and evenings by the water filled the days, the trip was full of both challenges and joy. The cluster gave me grief more than once, but each reimage and backup reminded me why I’m drawn to “survival computing” in the first place.
There were sweet moments too — like picking plums and sea buckthorn, tasting their sharp sourness and celebrating a branch that yielded three pounds of berries. Or sitting in Steady Brook with Dad’s fresh-baked bread on the table, the Humber River running low from the dam, and stories flowing as easily as the tea.
I’ll never forget King’s Point, with its hearty “turkey mess” dinner, the laughter around the table, and the simple joy of wharf-side views. Or that surprise birthday party in Springdale — the soup flowed like wine, sandwiches and cake vanished fast, and the Tizzard clan made sure I felt truly at home.
And of course, the real star of the show: Starlink and Tailscale. Against all odds, the connection worked flawlessly. Latency stayed in the 20-30ms range, and the cluster blog could be reached from anywhere. The tech may have faltered at times, but the connection to place and people never did.
This trip was about more than just running experiments in resilience. It was about family, food, and friendship, about reconnecting with the land and sea, and about telling stories late into the night while the Atlantic winds swept over us.
As I pack up and head back to Ontario, I carry with me not only backups of my cluster but also a backup of memories — moments that I can “spin up” anytime I need a reminder of why I make these trips. Newfoundland has left its mark on me once again, and I already know: I’ll be back.
And this isn’t the end for the blog. I’ll be keeping this format alive, setting up the cluster permanently so I can continue posting updates. That way, folks can keep reading, enjoying the stories, and following along as the journey evolves.
— Dave, signing off from the Rock
