CNN
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They’d all the time dreamed of dwelling by the ocean, however once they first visited the Bahamas again in 1985, Norvell and Mark Slezycki by no means imagined that they’d have their very personal oceanfront house within the island nation.
The couple, who had been dwelling in New York Metropolis on the time, “stumbled upon” the Abaco Islands, positioned north of Nassau, and had been struck by how underdeveloped the island chain was on the time.
“We saved coming again, virtually yearly,” Norvell tells CNN Journey. “And exploring all the different islands within the chain, staying at nearly each island.
“And we simply fell in love with the entire thought of some islands that would nonetheless be so undeveloped.”
Through the years, the pair grew notably keen on Nice Guana Cay, a seven-mile lengthy islet within the middle of the Abaco Islands, and continued to go to often, whereas questioning what it will be prefer to dwell there as soon as they’d retired.
Throughout one in every of their journeys, the Slezyckis rode your entire size of the island on bicycles and ultimately got here throughout an space that piqued their curiosity.
“We began asking, ‘Who owns all this land? Can we determine who owns it and if they’ve it on the market?’ After which we simply ran with it,” says Norvell.
In 2003, they negotiated a deal to buy an acre of land within the space for about $100,000.
“We had been elated. But additionally scared,” admits Norvell. “[It was] such an enormous determination so faraway from our consolation zone.”
As a way to elevate the cash to construct their dream house, the couple, who had moved to Florida by this level, determined to downsize, promoting their home in Lighthouse Level, Florida, and buying a smaller home in close by Pompano Seashore.
“That’s what made it possible for us to comply with this dream,” she provides.
They employed an area builder in 2005, making an settlement by handshake, with Mark designing their house himself.
Handshake settlement
“[The builder] stated, ‘All that you must do is wire cash to cowl my crew each week and we won’t cease engaged on the home,’” says Norvell.
Because the couple had been each working full-time for Mark’s manufacturing firm, they needed to coordinate the construct from the US.
“It was extremely difficult,” admits Norvell. “Bringing in materials, maintaining observe [of everything] and questioning if the home is being constructed correctly if you’re not even there.”
When requested how a lot they spent on the construct in complete, Norvell says that she and Mark “disagree” on the determine, however imagine it was round $325,000 “give or take.”
Work on their two-bedroom, two-bathroom house was full by 2006, with Norvell and Mark touring over for lengthy weekends and “unhappy little two-week holidays” earlier than formally retiring in 2010.
At this stage, they had been capable of spend six months within the Bahamas and 6 months within the US, which they describe as “the right stability.”
“Lots of people wait, or possibly they need to [wait] financially, however they wait [to retire],” says Norvell.
“After which impulsively, their well being points begin to compound. And we actually labored exhausting to do that.
“This isn’t one thing that got here simply financially. We labored very, very exhausting to make this occur and determine a method that it will work.”
Reaching their house isn’t any easy feat. The couple need to take a 70-minute constitution flight from Fort Lauderdale Govt Airport to Treasure Cay Airport on Nice Abaco Island, earlier than taking a 30-minute taxi experience to the ferry dock, the place they hop on a ferry to Nice Guana Cay, a journey of round 25 minutes.
“The watch for the following ferry will be a number of hours,” says Norvell, including that they often organize for a buddy to gather them and drive them to their house. “So, if we take an 8 a.m. flight, we’re often in our home by midday.”
Mark goes on to elucidate that he finds the journey to be a vital a part of the method of “getting relaxed and affected person,” in preparation for his or her time on the island.
“It’s fairly a day,” he says. ”However we do it yearly.”
Within the coming years, there have been some “minor storms,” the couple say, however “the killer” was Hurricane Dorian, a Class 5 storm that “made a beeline for the Abacos” in September 2019. The Slezyckis’ house was destroyed.
“It got here by way of and actually stalled over these islands and induced main, main disruption,” explains Norvell. “If your own home wasn’t destroyed, it was broken. No person was [left] unscathed.”
Sadly, the Slezyckis weren’t capable of return to Nice Guana Cay for some time as the closest airports had additionally been broken by the storm.
The next yr, restrictions had been put in place the world over because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which sophisticated issues for them additional.
“We misplaced lots of time, the place we couldn’t get right here,” explains Norvell. “Or if we may get right here, all we may do was decide up particles round the place our home was once.”
Norvell goes on to elucidate that Mark traveled over to the island when he was capable of, however she couldn’t face going to start with.
“I couldn’t actually assist that a lot,” she says. “And emotionally… I used to be fairly upset at the entire thing.”
As soon as they’d surveyed the harm completely, the couple determined that they’d rebuild their house themselves, utilizing their financial savings to buy supplies.
“Mark is extremely helpful,” says Norvell. “And he stated, ‘I believe I can construct this home just about alone.’”
For the following few years, they targeted on making their house livable once more, staying with a neighbor whose house was solely “mildly broken” every time they returned to the island.
“Consider me, if we had been 10 years older, we in all probability wouldn’t have been capable of do it,” says Norvell, including that they’re “nonetheless not accomplished.”
“We’ve nonetheless obtained a few good years left. Lots of people didn’t rebuild. They gave it up.
“However we simply couldn’t do it. [The house] was an excessive amount of part of our lives.”
Regardless of the setbacks, the couple can’t think about leaving their lives in Nice Guana Cay behind, and say they love being there.
“To begin with, the tempo over here’s a lot slower, which we actually like,” says Norvell. “No crowds, no visitors, no highway rage, little to no crime.”
Though the hurricane devastated Nice Guana Cay, the island has since recovered, and “in some methods is healthier than ever,” says Norvell.
Within the years since they’ve been dwelling on the island, personal resort group Baker’s Bay Golf & Ocean Membership, has opened on the opposite aspect of the island.
“Once they first began constructing, it was a extremely massive controversial factor on this island,” says Norvell, outlining the controversy across the unique growth, which confronted lots of resistance from locals.
“For about 5 or 6 years, it was simply all anyone may discuss.”
The Slezyckis go on to elucidate that their a part of the island could be very far faraway from the personal resort, the place celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Tom Brady are thought to have houses.
Whereas in Nice Guana Cay, which has a inhabitants of round 150, the couple journey round on a golf cart, taking seaside walks and going diving and snorkeling once they can.
“It’s kind of like dwelling within the ’50s,” says Mark. “It’s only a totally different tradition.”
Norvell has been amassing Bahamian sea glass since she first started visiting the island nation and makes jewellery from it. She additionally has a vegetable and herb backyard that she spends time sustaining.
“It’s only a less complicated life and it’s much more stress-free, apart from the spotty energy,” she says.
“It’s a luxurious to get up and have the water in entrance of you, the ocean and the dawn. Each morning is spectacular.
“It’s quiet and we don’t have any neighbors on high of us. We’re actually unfold out over right here.”
In 2020, she launched a TikTok account, SouthPauseIslandGirl, on the suggestion of her niece, and ultimately started posting about Nice Guana Cay.
“I had a video go viral with like six million views, which is loopy for any person my age,” she says. “After that [my TikTok account] actually sort of took off.”
Norvell now streams dwell sundown classes from Nice Guana Cay whereas consuming her morning espresso at house and holds on-line auctions the place followers can bid on her sea glass jewellery.
She explains that the success of her TikTok account has meant that she’s been capable of “herald a little bit further earnings” in addition to have lots of enjoyable determining learn how to navigate social media.
“After I first obtained on TikTok, I didn’t even know what I used to be doing,” she provides. “I nonetheless don’t, however anyway…”
Through the years, Norvell and Mark have constructed robust friendships with among the different expats who dwell within the space, and say the “sense of group is sort of robust.”
“We actually assist one another out,” says Norvell.
They adopted a cat, Flip Flop, who was born on their property, 16 years in the past.
“She travels forwards and backwards with us and is a pure delight,” provides Norvell.
Though Norvell and Mark concede that they don’t essentially socialize with locals that a lot, they get pleasure from attending neighborhood occasions such because the occasional “group dinners” on the primary avenue, the place all the residents get collectively and tuck into enormous spreads, in addition to the annual Christmas tree-lighting.
The Slezyckis stress that they’re conscious that they’re “company” within the Bahamas and “suppose it’s actually vital to know that and to respect that.”
“There’s a really small inhabitants of true Bahamian residents who’ve lived right here actually for generations,” says Norvell.
“They’re reserved and non secular, however when you deal with them the best way it is best to, which is with kindness and respect, they heat as much as you and then you definately turn into one in every of them they usually settle for you.
“However it’s not one thing that occurs in a single day.”
As for the price of dwelling, it’s “roughly double” that of the US, based on the Slezyckis, who clarify that the remoteness of the island signifies that many items are imported, so are usually costlier.
Based on couple, the price of gasoline, which they use to energy their golf cart, is greater, together with groceries.
“Our little island has to herald the groceries,” she explains. “In order that they’ve obtained to become profitable someplace.”
The Slezyckis level out that one of many different “massive negatives” about dwelling on the island is that “there’s actually no well being care to talk of,” and the closest clinics, which take care of extra minor points, are positioned in Marsh Harbour, on the island of Nice Abaco.
“For those who had a extremely critical well being challenge, you would need to fly again to the States,” says Norvell.
Earlier this month, the US State Division posted a travel advisory update urging People to “train elevated warning” within the Bahamas, citing the islands of New Windfall, the place Nassau is positioned, and Grand Bahama, the place Freeport is positioned, because the affected areas.
Norvell says that she’s obtained numerous messages expressing concern about crime, however stresses that she and Mark really feel very protected in Nice Guana Cay.
“We’re so distant from [the areas affected], geographically and likewise simply the flavour of this island,” she says.
“There’s actually little to no crime [in Great Guana Cay] and that’s one thing that’s tough to search out at the moment anyplace.”
Though their rebuilt house continues to be not completed, Norvell stresses that it’s “completely livable,” they usually hope to have it prepared by April.
“I wish to have a celebration to announce the completion,” she provides.
Homeowners of property within the Bahamas are eligible for an annual Dwelling Homeowners Resident Card and the Slezyckis even have the choice to use for citizenship.
Nevertheless, they clarify, as a result of the island nation permits visa extensions permitting guests to remain for as much as eight months, they’ve by no means wanted to.
When requested whether or not they ever plan to settle in Nice Guana Cay completely, the couple say that they’re joyful to maintain splitting their time between the island and the US, the place they nonetheless have a house in Florida, for the foreseeable future.
“It simply works so properly,” says Norvell. “You’ve all the time obtained that escape, and if there’s one thing you’ve simply obtained to get again house for no matter purpose, you’re not caught right here.
“Between household, buddies, physician visits, going to a present or going to a extremely good restaurant, these issues are simply not obtainable over right here,” says Norvell.
“So it’s good to get a little bit dose of all of that. And I believe we admire [the island] once we come again much more.”