Current Rock of Residence:
Nassau, Bahamas
Island Girl Since:
2009
Originally Hails From:
Washington State
In 2009, Mariah washed up on the beach of a remote island in the Bahamas. That island, as per the most recent census, had a population of 7. And it was at the island’s only beach bar that she met her future husband. Forget checking little boxes on Match.com to find your perfect mate; if you need to find someone with the right amount of crazy comparable to your own, head to a sun-bleached tropical island. Upon marrying her Australian-Bahamian husband, she was granted legal status to live on any of the 700 rocks that comprise the Bahamas.
She fell into the vagrant world of construction and has lived and worked on numerous rocks throughout the Bahamas during her tenure as an island girl. She has recently landed in the “big city” of Nassau with the hopes of completing the house that her husband started about 10 years ago and finally establishing some roots. But as with the sailboats that ply these waters, you never know where the winds will take you.
Her and her husband are dedicated to their careers in construction project management, real estate, and island living consulting with their self-made company, Out Island Life. Nevertheless, Mariah still finds time to indulge in her favorite island activities which include kiteboarding, paddle-boarding, beach yoga, and taking her three Potcakes (island dogs) for long walks on empty beaches. You can follow her website, Out Island Life, or on Instagram @outislandlife.
Explore posts by this writer:
Behind the Scenes of an Island Rescue Dog
Have you been considering adopting an island dog? Perhaps you've seen those tear-jerking rescue videos and photos floating around social media. The star might be a mangy mutt persuaded out from a dumpster, likely on the verge of death, but with a look in his eyes...
Easter Lockdown on the Rock
2014 was the first Easter I spent in the "civilized" Bahamian world. The previous Easter holidays throughout my island tenure were spent either in Miami or on some far-fetched remote island where I had no idea what was going on in the world of commerce. Though last...
Comparing Island Life: The Exumas, Harbour Island, & Nassau
EDITOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the first post in our new series where women who have lived on multiple rocks compare the lifestyles of different islands. This site receives so many questions in the realm of "What's it like to live on *insert island here* compared to...
Giving an Old Island a Second Chance
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The Online Shopping Rabbit Hole
I am going to make a confession, something that may be considered taboo considering my gender. But here goes... I hate shopping. And probably more than I hate actually shopping, I despise crowded shopping malls... and trying to find a parking spot at said mall. There...
A New Appreciation for My Island Home
There’s something about traveling to the far reaches of the world - surrounding yourself with the unknown, pushing your body to the extreme with lack of sleep, time zone changes, recycled airplane air, buses, trains, new people, new words, and unfamiliar food - that...
