Unbound Paper Trails

03/02/2026

Oh hey booknerds, art lover and adventure seekers! 👋

I’m going to be completely honest here…..I’ve been avoiding this project like the plague.

Not because I lost interest but because I have no idea what it actually is going to be!

My artistic imagination has always been grander than my actual artistic ability. I can see in my minds eye what I want to create but the execution…that’s where I fall down.

I’m definitely a curator, an instigator, the person who “builds it and they will come”.

Unbound Paper Trails will become something….

But the day I started this project by going back to where my love of books and art and coffee was solidified, my bookshop…well it actually rolled me.

And to be honest, I’ve been in a bit of a tailspin ever since.

When the current owner of my beloved bookshop offered it back to me…torn is a massive understatement. And I’ve thought about it every single day since.

I know I could do it, I know I could bring it back, rebuild, reinvent and I’d love every minute of it. But what I wouldn’t love is going into debt again, the overheads, being stuck by opening hours and at the mercy of retail ups and downs in an economy most are only just surviving.

My Gypsy soul just can’t do it.

I can’t build my freedom in one hand and my prison in the other. And it breaks my heart. To know it could close. To know it could be the end of what I so lovingly built from the ground up.

I don’t know what Unbound Paper Trails will look like. This season of my life is buried deep in tweenage drama, soccer sideline and high school antics. Full mum mode.

But here is the promise I made to myself this morning -

I will fall back in love with reading and art and adventures again. I will romanticise the heck out of reading…and simply take anyone who’d like to follow, along for the ride.

While “online Tunja” will continue to build her financial freedom and create what is needed for her future life of travelling and exploring every bookshop her little wandering heart can find, “offline Tunja” will work on her relationship with the written word.

I won’t make any promises of how that looks here, but I’m honoured to have you along for the ride x

05/10/2025

I do love to natter on a little 😂 but Im looking forward to sharing thoughts, stories, reflections as well as interviews, reviews, news and details of my adventures and bookish trails.

If you like to follow along, I’d love to have you along for the ride!

https://substack.com/?r=3uy8y6&utm_medium=iosd

📚 Bookshops, art & hidden gems ☕ Coffee & vinyl on the road 🎶 Stories, songs & serendipity 👇 Follow the trail

05/10/2025

Because every trail needs a map.
Every project needs a plan!
And every product needs a prototype!

It’s starts here! 🗺️

04/10/2025

And I burst into tears. And she wrapped me in a beautiful big hug. What a rollercoaster of emotions that visit was.

I poured my wholes self into that shop and then just walked away. But boy did my heart sing as I spotted the pieces of me that still remain today.

The shelves mum and I scoured marketplace for, the little trinkets and nicnaks I hunted for in opshops, even some of the collection of penguins classics I purchased years ago remained.

The typewriter, the little side tables. The little pieces of me left behind but still living on.

I love the heart and expression that Danielle has poured into You can feel the love as you walk in.

Still driven by community and connection, still full of stories and soul. Wonderful coffee and little treats and a credit to her and her girls.

The perfect start to my Book Trail adventure x

Thank you Danielle, what a wonderful custodian of The Book Boutique you are!

04/10/2025

Welcome to Unbound Paper Trails ✨📚☕🎶

This is more than a project. It’s a journey. A love letter. A celebration.

Here’s what you’ll find here:
📚 Bookshops — independent stores filled with stories and soul.
🎨 Creatives — artists, musicians, and makers whose work adds colour to our communities.
☕ Coffee stops & hidden gems — from shady trees to street libraries, the little places that make a trail worth wandering.
💌 Stories — of connection, creativity, and following dreams (even the messy, imperfect ones).

For years, I thought this dream would have to wait — until life calmed down, until motherhood settled. But I realised: waiting only pushes our passions further away. Later is now.

So I’m starting local in Wide Bay, then wandering further afield — Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gold Coast, North QLD and beyond. Every trail will weave into something tangible: a handmade book capturing the soul of each region, plus digital stories you can follow along with from anywhere.

How you can be part of it:

💌 Are you a bookshop owner, artist, café, musician, or creative? I’d love to feature you.
📚 Are you a book lover, explorer, or someone who just loves community stitched together with stories? Follow along and share your favourites.
☕ Got a bookshop, café, or shady tree I must visit? Drop it in the comments or DM me.

This is a space for readers, dreamers, makers, and wanderers. If that’s you — you belong here.

🌿 Ready to go deeper? You’ll find the full stories, reflections, and trail notes here: https://bit.ly/4pTApce

This is my next chapter.
Welcome to the Trail. ✨