I was wondering. How can I access my files from a PC half the world away? Is this done through a VPN?

VPN is one method for sure, but depending on how often and how secure you need, there could be alternatives. For example, you could create an FTP site on your PC and access them across the Internet. There are also a number of remote-control type apps (commercially something like GoToMyPC) such as VNC that have remote file access as well. Another option is to create an Amazon account (or similar) and store the files you want to access "in the cloud" and access them that way. I use a $1.00 /month app called Jungle Disk (https://www.jungledisk.com/) that allows me to map a drive letter to my Amazon S3 account and access files as if they were local. Lots of options, but you have to decide how much you want to invest, how often you need access, and what level of security you need.