Hello, I’m Haley, the Yorkshire traveller behind BorderLass. I started this blog in 2013 to share the places, people and everyday discoveries that make travel worth doing. The name is a nod to my Yorkshire roots and to the idea of travelling beyond borders.
How the journey began
My first big adventure was a coach trip to what was then Yugoslavia when I was eight. We visited the part that is now Croatia, and that long journey made me curious about the wider world. Since then I’ve travelled across Europe, spent four months in the United States and visited Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Syria and Lebanon.
More recent journeys have taken me to Iceland, Poland, Moldova and Ukraine, as well as twice to Svalbard. I’m just as interested in a local market, a conversation or a regional meal as I am in a famous landmark. Closer to home, I love exploring York and Yorkshire too. Bonnie, my golden retriever, sometimes joins me on local adventures around Yorkshire and elsewhere in the UK.
A new chapter for BorderLass
My partner Col died in 2018. He will always be part of my story, and I stepped back from the blog for a while. This is the relaunch of BorderLass: a place to share where I’m going now, what I’m learning and the experiences that make me want to keep exploring.
You’ll find first-hand travel stories, practical destination guides, honest tips and photographs from my own trips. I’m especially drawn to less obvious places, sustainable ways to travel and locally produced food. I’ll tell you what worked, what surprised me and what I’d do differently.
Whether you’re planning a far-flung adventure or looking at somewhere closer to home with fresh eyes, I’m glad you’re here. Have a look at my destinations and travel guides, or follow along on Instagram.
BorderLass — travel beyond borders.