Who we are:
Matt: 27-year-old beach bum from Bournemouth, England. Drinks whiskey and plays the piano. Travelled 38 countries (so far). The taller half of Borderline Backpackers.
Ally: 25-year-old explorer from Caledon, Ontario, Canada. Loves cats, Clive Cussler novels and country music. Travelled 37 countries (so far). The much shorter half of Borderline Backpackers.
We met in December 2013 at a bar in Bournemouth. Ally had just moved to England on a Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) visa from Canada and Matt had just returned home from a 2-month backpacking adventure in Australia. Having both been to Australia, we had tons to talk about and instantly bonded over travelling. We started dating a few weeks later, and have been inseparable since.
It’s difficult being in a relationship with someone from another country, as there are many government laws and restrictions we have to face in order to be together. Ally’s used two different visas throughout her time in the UK, but when both expired, we had to come up with a solution that would allow us to still be together. That brings us to today, backpacking around the world (and currently on a Eurotrip). It will be difficult when we stop travelling and decide to settle down in one of our home countries, but we’ll come to that in a few years time. Thankfully, we’re both travel bugs and like to move around!
Throughout our time together, we’ve already experienced so much! Travel can be very bittersweet, and often involves sacrifice. We openly gave up the life we built to follow our dreams and live life on the road. While some days are challenging, we have been no regrets in the decision to travel the world together and make this blog our full-time job. We know it’s going to be worth it, and welcome the obstacles and life lessons this trip will teach us!
Borderline Backpackers, For All Kinds Of Travellers:
This blog is aimed at people who love to travel but don’t want to blow their life savings in the process.
People who thrive to venture out of their comfort zone, but don’t fancy being abducted trying to hitchhike on a highway.
People who want to immerse themselves in a different culture, but want to know what is accepted and what isn’t.
People like us.
We will be reviewing the places we stay, the food we eat, and the activities we do, in the hope that anyone planning a similar journey, will find our reviews useful. We hope you will be able to use our recommendations to plan the trip of a lifetime.
Have a question about our blog, content or the places we’ve been to? Send us a message, we’re always up for a chat.
Most importantly, don’t be fooled by the name… this blog isn’t just for backpackers, but anyone who loves to travel, explore and adventure.
Thanks for taking the time to check out Borderline Backpackers and for joining us on our journey around the world!
Our Travel Map:
34 countries together and counting…
Who We Have Worked With:
Since starting our blog in October 2017, we have worked with the following companies:
- STA Travel
- HI Canada
- Youth Hostelling Association Australia
- Mad Monkey Backpackers
- Eddie Bauer
- STA Travel Business
If you would like to collaborate with us, please get in touch! We take every opportunity very seriously, nothing is too big or too small. Kindly send an email to the address below, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
borderlinebackpackers@gmail.com
Ally, I got your comment on a post of mine on Community Pool– where I shared my travel blog. I appreciate your feedback and was very surprised and excited to know you enjoyed “The Beginning” on Honey Sweet Travels. I had the opportunity to check out your blog and I absolutely love it! I love the layout so much and am in awe at your story with Matt. Best of luck!
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You have a beautiful way with words Erika! I completely related to your post, especially when you said happiness is the yearn for travel and not a concrete place or person. It took me a long time to figure that out! Thanks for having a look at our blog, Matt and I both really appreciate it 💕 We be following your journeys! All the best xo
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You guys remind me a lot of my own story and how I met my boyfriend. He’s Australian and called Matt as well, I’m German. It’s not always easy to make a relationship work when you’re from two different countries and you have a lot to go through together but I think if you can make it work still that means that your relationship is very strong 🙂 I’ll follow your blog now. Happy to see what you guys will get up to xx
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We completely agree! It’s definitely a challenge when you’re both from different countries, but it’s certainly doable if you love each other enough! Ally is out of U.K. visas now, which is why we’re in Australia, and will eventually end up in Canada after travelling more of the world together.
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Hey Matt and Ally, loved having a look around your website and it’s amazing how you’re travelling together now. I’m hoping that one day I can travel with my girlfriend of 2 years too. Good to see someone so close to home for me (Salisbury) out there blogging about their adventures as well and I’ll definitely be following the blog to keep up to date with any more amazing experiences you have together.
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Thanks so much for taking the time to check out our blog, it really means a lot to us! Salisbury is lovely, and not far from Bournemouth at all. Any big backpacking plans, or holidays? If you ever want someone to chat travel with or some tips for travelling as a couple, send us a message anytime.
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Dear Matt & Alley,
It’s great to learn your insatiable lust for travelling and get to know the world with diverse beauty and nature!! Why not plan a visit to India?
Wish you all the best for your trip. I await keenly for your posts
Best regards.
Tarun Bagchi, India.
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Hello Tarun,
Thank you so much for your kind words, and for taking the time to check out our blog. We definitely plan on visiting India in the near future, but have a long, expensive Euro Trip coming up, so will consider our next trip after that. Stay tuned for lots more posts from our trip around Europe.
Kind regards
Matt & Ally
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