ABOUT ME | breaking.the.borders

I’m Karolina Tuszynska, an outdoor blogger & content creator based in Poland. Multi-day hiking and long-distance trekking are what I enjoy the most. I’m also a huge fan of Australia, its beautiful nature, and unique wildlife. My personal brand BREAKING.THE.BORDERS was born in 2020 with little to no knowledge about blogging and content creation. Over the past 5 years, I managed to build up a strong social media presence in polish outdoor space by promoting long-distance hiking, camping and spending time in nature.

WHY BREAKING.THE.BORDERS?

Why BREAKING.THE.BORDERS? Because I’m not scared of pushing my physical, and mental boundaries. I do the long-distance hiking solo, while challenging myself, getting out of my comfort zone, and pushing myself to the limit. In 2020, I did a road trip across Western Australia, and got to explore the harsh and intimidating outback all by myself. In 2022, I did one of the toughest hikes in Tasmania, including Western Arthurs Traverse, and climbed Federation Peak known as Australia’s most terrifying mountain. In addition to that, I live my life on my own rules, always chasing big dreams, and I inspire others to do the same.

HOW DO I TRAVEL?

Multi-day hiking and long-distance trekking are my biggest passion. Each year, I challenge myself to do a longer or tougher hike. In 2023, I hiked the infamous GR20, a 180 km long trail with significant elevation change, that winds its way through the mountainous heart of Corsica. In 2024, I did Kom-Emine, a 600 km walking track that follows the main ridge of the Balkan Mountains, with the beginning at Kom Peak close to Serbia, and with an end at Cape Emine, at the Black Sea. In 2025, I walked the Haute Randonnée Pyrénéenne, a 750 km long hiking trail in the Pyrenees joining the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

MY STORY

It all started in August 2019 when I decided to make my biggest dream come true and move abroad. At that time, I had been working in clinical research for almost five years. Because of my professional experience and ability to speak only one foreign language, I could only consider countries that keep their medical records in English. So getting a job in America, 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. Fair enough, right?

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 got shut down, and just a few days later, the first lockdown was in place. 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. I 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. What’s more, I walked my first multi-day hike, the Cape to Cape Track, Australia’s longest coastal trail, carrying camping gear, food and water on my back. In May 2022, due to some personal reasons, I decided to cease my skilled visa, got back home. I’m currently based in Poland.

Last two years were very intense, and full of changes. I was slowly cutting down the hours in my clinical research job, and spending more and more time working on my blog and social media channels. At the end of 2023 I decided to quit my job, risk it all, and start working as a self-employed individual. Currently, I do blogging and content creation full time, and work for tourism boards and outdoor brands. In March 2024 I became the Salewa brand ambassador, and joined the international Salewa People Team. How exciting!