VINALHAVEN —Bryan and Jenn Feezor are not natives of this or any other island. The 26-year-olds are truly “from away,” having been raised in California and Maryland, respectively.
The pair met as students at the University of California at Santa Cruz. After graduate school—Bryan at UCSC and Jenn at Boston University—the couple knew they wanted to live on an island. It was on Vinalhaven where both found jobs two years ago. Bryan is the math teacher at Vinalhaven High School and Jenn is a social worker at Islands Community Medical Center.
From the moment they arrived, Bryan and Jenn dove headfirst into island life, making friends, attending social events and taking on extra responsibilities. Jenn has joined the board of non-profit organization Partners in Island Education while Bryan works weekends as a bartender at the local Sand Bar. They are assistant coaches for the girls and boys high school soccer teams and both have participated in productions of the Vinalhaven Players theatrical group.
“Community theater makes my winters worthwhile,” said Jenn.
The Feezors love living on Vinalhaven.
“We made friends,” said Jenn, and “we both found jobs, which is pretty nice to come by for recent graduates.” Jenn also likes the safety and security that comes with living in a small, isolated community.
“I like that I can ride my bike everywhere,” said Bryan. “I like that a lot of people in our age group that we hang out with are hard-working, involved, and have big goals.”
The couple stays busy hiking, biking and exploring the island with their Siberian Husky rescue dog Maisy. Each also has held multiple “extra-curricular” jobs in the two short years they have lived on Vinalhaven. Besides her job as a social worker, Jenn has also worked as a theater manager, a cook, and a gardener. Bryan has worked in the local boatyard and has tried his hand at going to haul.
Is there anything they miss about mainland life?
Bryan is quick with a “Nope.” Jenn, on the other hand, misses “community fairs, renaissance fairs, ethnic food restaurants, movies in a movie theater,” all said this with a wistful air.
However, the benefits of the life the Feezors have made for themselves far outweigh anything they might be missing, the said.
“Living in Boston, nobody would know when I got a new pet or a new haircut,” said Jenn. “Here people know me and make an effort to know me, and I really like it. I’m still getting used to it, but I like it.”
One big factor for many native islanders is the presence of family, and usually lots of it. The Feezors don’t have that.
“Since I left home I probably have seen my family 3-5 times a year,” said Bryan. “Now it’s once or twice. It’s not that big a difference to me.”
Bryan doesn’t come from a very big family. Jenn, though, comes from a huge family. “Sometimes the travel issues of the island make it more difficult for people and they may not want to visit,” said Bryan. “If we lived in Rockland, the Boston people might visit more often.”
Jenn agreed.
“I think the ferry makes it daunting. It brings a barrier, so you can’t be as accessible. But the lifestyle on the island makes up for it.”
Bryan cites last Christmas vacation when Jenn went to visit her family while he stayed on Vinalhaven.
“The four days I was here by myself I was invited over to people’s houses. It wasn’t just one family, it was multiple families. I really liked that,” he said.
The Feezors have made a life they love on Vinalhaven, and they have no intention of leaving. They married on the island last August and bought a house in September. And their new island family has welcomed them with open arms.