The Security of Hobart

“Now I know Nikki, that you are a very social and sporty person, I’ve seen you go for walks around Sandy Bay after school and hang out with your friends. If you were to go to South Africa on this exchange, you know you wouldn’t be able to do that? The girls your age in South Africa don’t have the same freedom as you. It’s a very dangerous country. Do you think you would be able to cope?”

“No.”

During this interview I realised how safe and secure I really am. I live in Sandy Bay, Hobart. If I showed you pictures, I’m sure you would agree with me how beautiful it is here and how lucky I am to live here. Everything I need is either a five minute walk away, or a 10 minute bus ride away. My school is situated at the top of my hill, which is very convenient as I’m not an early riser! I am also lucky to have been given the trust and independence from my parents to do things at a young age. I started going to town by myself at twelve and catching buses by myself at thirteen.

I haven’t always felt so lucky though. Every time we would travel to the Gold Coast, Melbourne or Sydney, I would feel immense jealously. “They have everything!” Would be my immediate thought after spending a day shopping in Melbourne, or a day at a theme park in Brisbane. I’ve always wanted to move to Melbourne, for the opportunity to study and work somewhere away from Tasmania. I no longer want to though. If I were twelve and living in Melbourne, my parents would never have let me shop by myself, let alone catch public transport! I now appreciate Hobart and Tasmania for the freedom it has given me and the beauty that I see every day. I also see Hobart changing, our shops are getting bigger and more modern, and more mainland businesses are opening places here. We are very behind the big cities, but we’re getting there.

I didn’t end up getting the exchange, but it didn’t matter. It would have been an amazing trip, but three months away from my family and friends, and not being able to do anything after school would have been too hard for me at 15. My friend ended up getting it and she had a wonderful time.