Speaking of which, do you know of a way I can connect to my node from an outside network? This way I can play around with it when I have free time at work.
Yes, I do. You have to set up port forwarding on your router (this includes assigning fixed internal IP to your Raspberry Pi and then forwarding port 22 (SSH) to that IP). However, it depends on your ISP whether or not it is possible and the whole process looks different on each device. I can help you set it up but you might have to disclose some sensitive information so I would recommend you to contact me on Telegram or send me a private message/an e-mail. You might find a tutorial on-line for your router, though.