ABOUT ME | breaking.the.b

I’m Karolina Tuszynska, and I come from Poland, a country located in Central Europe. My travel blog was launched in March 2020 as a result of my passion to travel. You will find here heaps of useful travel tips, ready-to-use itineraries and my personal insights what is worth seeing and why. Adventure travelling, and hiking is what I enjoy the most. I’m also obsessed with Australia, its beautiful nature, and unique wildlife. This travel blog is for those who love the outdoors, and are not afraid of taking on new challenges.

WHY BREAKING.THE.BORDERS?

Because I travel, and at the same time, I’m not scared of pushing my physical and mental boundaries. In November 2020, I set out on a solo road trip across Western Australia, and got to explore the harsh and intimidating outback. A month later, I walked the Cape to Cape Track, Australia’s longest coastal trail that has 135 kilometres. I finished it all by myself, carrying my camping gear, food and water. In 2022, I did the toughest hikes in Tasmania, and climbed Federation Peak, known as Australia’s most terrifying mountain.

HOW DO I TRAVEL?

I don’t want to label myself as a solo traveller, because it’s not always the case, but it happens a lot, and I do like it. As you can imagine, I’m a big fan of multi-day hikes, long-distance treks, and lesser-known destinations. Every now and then, I like to challenge myself, get out of my comfort zone, and push myself to the limit. I appreciate the power of slow travel, and prefer to explore less, but more deeply. My travel bucket list isn’t getting any shorter. I wonder why… Maybe I’m focused on my hiking bucket list too much.

MY STORY

It was August 2019 when I decided to make my biggest dream come true and move abroad. My educational background includes Master’s degree in pharmacy, and I had been working in clinical trials industry for years. Because of my profession and ability to speak only one foreign language, I could consider countries that keep their medical records in English. So getting a job in the USA, Canada or Australia became my ultimate goal. The UK was never my thing. It seemed too easy to achieve, given that I was based in Poland.

The truth is that I always wanted to visit Australia, and really hoped to get a job there. I shouted for joy when I got invited for an Australian job interview. I cried with happiness when I got formally offered two weeks later. Over the next few months, I applied for my visa, got it granted, packed my suitcases, and said goodbye to my family & friends. After landing in Melbourne in February 2020, I couldn’t wait any longer to see Australia. My next goal was to travel as much as possible, and work for my employer, of course.

I started my travel blog in March 2020. Shortly after that, Australia implemented some travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the 20th March 2020, the Australian border was shut, and just a few days later, the first lockdown was introduced. That significantly affected my plans. I didn’t travel at all and spent most of my time self-isolating. Safety measures helped a lot in the entire country, except Melbourne. The harsh lockdown rules made me decide to move again. This time I chose Perth in Western Australia.

Over the next year and a half, I finally got to see Australia. Started off with a huge road trip across Western Australia, followed by a few flights to South Australia, 3 months hiking in Tasmania, and visiting the most popular places in Victoria. I really did some amazing things, and created memories that will last forever. That includes swimming with mantra rays, watching sea lions, and driving off-road. In May 2022, due to some personal reasons, I decided to cease my skilled visa, got back home. I’m currently based in Poland.