Travel Optometrist's Snippets of Newfoundland

At the time of writing, I’m in an oceanside cabin in Newfoundland. I’m here for a quick three-day clinic in a beautiful little town called Bonavista.

I'd like to share a few snippets from my time here—and hopefully inspire you to slow down. Whether that means getting out into nature, planning a sabbatical, or even booking a future trip to Newfoundland!

UNESCO Global Geopark

The Bonavista coastline is a designated UNESCO Global Geopark, featuring stunning shorelines dotted with 560-million-year-old fossils, dramatic cliffs, and rugged geological formations shaped over eons.

I even spotted a few RVs parked near the cliff’s edge—can you imagine waking up to a sunrise like that? What a breathtaking way to start the day!

"Iceberg Alley"

One of the many reasons Newfoundland is so special is that it’s one of the best places in the world to see icebergs from land.

During my lunch break, I wandered into a charming little gift shop and told the local shop owner I had just seen an iceberg for the first time.

She smiled and shared that Newfoundland is known for Iceberg Alley—a nickname for the stretch of ocean where massive chunks of ice drift down from Greenland each spring.

Her father was a fisherman, and she remembers her father waiting weeks (sometimes months!) for the ice to thaw before his fishing boat could head out.

She said iceberg sightings have become rarer over the years—a quiet reminder of the changing climate.

We may never see Iceberg Alley the way it once was, but it lives on in the memories of those who grew up here—and I thought that was kind of beautiful too.

Icebergs are harvested to make beer.

Some local breweries harvest chunks of icebergs to make beer. Yes—beer made with 20,000-year-old iceberg water.

The most well-known example is Quidi Vidi Brewery, tucked into a tiny fishing village just outside of St. John’s. It’s famous for its Iceberg Beer.

As I took my first sip, it dawned on me that I was drinking something that had been frozen since the Ice Age.

Now, I’m no beer connoisseur, and maybe it’s just in my head, but it honestly tasted amazing.

If you ever find yourself in Newfoundland, give it a try!

Puffins Everywhere

I told the car rental staff I was headed to Bonavista. He said, “You've gotta see the puffins.”

Bonavista, it turns out, is home to large puffin colonies. Puffins are colorful seabirds that migrate to Newfoundland every summer to nest.

He then asked, “How big do you think puffins are?”

“Maybe the size of a penguin?” I guessed.

He chuckled. “Tell me about it when you come back.”

My imagination went wild. Puffins must be GIANT.

In reality, it turns out, they’re super tiny—only 9 inches tall and weighing less than a pound!

Fun facts:

• They’re incredible swimmers, using their wings to “fly” underwater.
• They flap their wings up to 400 times/min and can reach 88 km/h.
• Their signature orange beaks only appear during mating season.

Seeing them in their natural habitat was an absolute delight.

Oceanside Cabin

I had the pleasure of staying at an oceanside cabin, with windows and a backyard that opened right up to the Atlantic Ocean.

Every morning, I sipped coffee on the deck overlooking the Atlantic. Just ocean and coastline as far as my eyes could see. I haven't felt that relaxed in a long time.

Coming from a big city, it always takes me a few days to adjust to the slow pace of life. But once the noise fades, there’s a deep, peaceful feeling that I've come to really appreciate.

In those quiet moments, I thought back to the first decade of my career—working weekends, long hours, and holidays. Relentlessly chasing success, hoping that eventually I would be happy.

If you ask me what I did in those ten years, I remember big milestones (my first paycheck and getting married).

But beyond that? It's honestly a blur. I worked. A lot.

I wondered why I was so busy all those years, unable to slow down and 'smell the roses'.

Moments like this matter so much because they remind me of how I want to live my life. They help me course-correct.

I’m grateful to have realigned my work and life—and to design my days around meaning.

Slow Down

What about you?

Do your days blur together? Do you feel restless? Overwhelmed by the constant pressure of what’s next?

Take a pause. Reflect.

Go out in nature. Take a sabbatical. Travel.

Sometimes, a change of setting helps you to reconnect with your why.