CAIT AROUND THE WORLD

February 26, 2023 — Without a tour to wake up for, I slept late the next morning. I woke up shortly before 9:00am, in time to get dressed, pack my stuff, and check out of the hostel by 10:00am.

Once I’d checked out, it was a simple matter to get to my next accommodation as it was literally on the other side of the block from where I had been. For the next three nights, I was staying at The Pickled Frog before heading back to Sydney on March 1st. I lugged my stuff to the Frog and, happily, was able to store my stuff while I waited to be able to check in. I sat at a table with my laptop (not really — it’s just my iPad in a laptop case) and did some work catching up on my trip budget. I also called home and chatted with my parents before I needed to make my way to my activity for the day: I was going to the movies.

On my first day in Hobart, I had to walk past Village Cinemas to get to Narrara Backpackers. I got a whiff of movie popcorn and it literally made my knees weak. I did some looking into what movies were playing on that day but ultimately decided that I didn’t really need to go; I could buy some microwave popcorn at Woolies later and have a little movie and popcorn in my dorm room. I was sorely tempted to go because Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was playing, but it only had times in the afternoon and it was a lot of money to go to the movies.

I’d talked myself back into going over the last seven days, especially after I heard that my little brother had gone with a friend to see the movie. Now, I had to go. I bought my ticket at the theatre and purchased my popcorn and drink. I got my popcorn and a Coke from concessions, then went to wait for the theatre to open. Unlike at home, the theatre isn’t open for very long before the movie is due to start. There was another movie playing when I popped open the door to see if I could go inside, so I sat out front of the theatre and waited for the door to open.

I got seated and watched the previews, then the movie began and I broke into my popcorn. There really is nothing like movie popcorn and I savoured every bite. There is also nothing like going to see a movie in a foreign country and embracing your inner child. I had such a good time watching the story play out on the big screen. It was an afternoon well-spent.

When the movie finished, I walked out of the theatre and headed back to the Frog, where I realized that the massive pile of laundry in my bag simply had to be dealt with. The laundry at the hostel was honestly kinda gross and there were only two washers and one dryer. I didn’t feel like waiting since it had taken enough energy to decide to do laundry in the first place. After a quick Google, I found a laundromat attached to a hotel pub and walked myself up a big hill to get there. I stuck my laundry in the washer and had a toastie while I waited for it to finish, then stuck it in the dryer.

When I had everything folded and put back into my packing cubes, I loaded up once more and walked down to the hostel.

A little later that evening, I was really missing my leggings, which I realized I’d left at Narrara (I think) on the day I checked out to start my tour. I realized they weren’t in my bag when I got to Strahan and since I repacked my bag in the common area on the day I left for the tour, I figured they’d gotten missed at that point. All this to say that I headed downtown, hoping that the mall might still be open and I could pick up a new pair of leggings. No dice on the mall still being open, but I did walk past the Bidencopes Lane street art and really enjoyed walking through the lane on the way back to the hostel.

I eventually got ready for bed and crawled in, remembering when I went to brush my teeth that I still needed to pick up another toothbrush because, of course, I’d managed to lose mine in the trailer attached to the bus on the last day of the tour since I had put it in one of my open mesh pockets on the side of my bag. Another day, another adventure! I went to sleep in anticipation of the next day and what it would hold.

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to leave a like, comment, and share with your friends and family! If you’re looking for more frequent updates, follow me on Instagram @cait_around_the_world.