Elle Bonello Azzopardi Ibbotson has spoken of her contentment after she traded Malta’s urban sprawl and her hectic job at Mater Dei Hospital for the tranquillity of life on a Slovakian farm.

At 49, she now runs a permaculture farm in a rural town with her partner, Zara. Together, the couple grow a variety of vegetables and raise livestock, including sheep, rabbits, and pigs.

“Being in touch with nature has given me a deep connection not only with the earth but also with my inner self. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she says.

The decision to make such a dramatic life change came after a period of reflection, as Elle realised that Malta was no longer the country she had grown up in.

Her turning point arrived during the COVID-19 pandemic. After years of working as a paramedic, Elle began managing logistics for the A&E department at Mater Dei in March 2020. Working at Malta’s general hospital, combined with Malta’s growing population density and rapidly changing landscape, she started to feel trapped on the island.

“Life in Malta is far too claustrophobic,” she explained. To make matters worse, there was a plan to build apartments on top of her maisonette in Paola.

By 2021, Elle no longer felt connected to the island where she had spent her childhood.

“Life was much simpler when I was younger,” she reflects.

A visit to Zara’s hometown in Slovakia sparked the idea of leaving Malta for good. When the couple compared property prices, the decision became clear.

The couple's farm after a storm that devastated their town.

‘Bought a 1,000-square-metre farm for €35,000’

“We sold our two-bedroom maisonette in Paola for around €220,000 and bought a 1,000-square-metre farm in Bina, Slovakia for just €35,000,” Elle says.

Their new lifestyle centres around permaculture, a sustainable farming method that prioritises efficient use of natural resources and minimising waste.

“It’s not just about creating a circular economy; it’s about fostering circular biodiversity,” Elle explains, emphasising that their goal is to work with nature rather than against it.

The pair were largely welcomed by the Slovakian community. “For two trans women to leave Malta and start a farm in Slovakia is pretty bold,” Elle admits.

While most of their neighbours were kind from the start, one neighbour was not as accepting.

Despite his initial hostility, Elle and Zara remained polite and friendly. About nine months later, when his wife was diagnosed with cancer, Ibbotson approached him offering help, given her background as a paramedic.

Slowly he began to accept her support, and today, their neighbour even helps care for their animals when the pair travel abroad.

‘Community is a key element of our new life’

Community is another key element of their new life. This was particularly true last June, when a storm devastated their town and farm.

Despite the challenges, the couple was not left to face the aftermath alone. Their neighbours rallied together to help one another.

“We all came together as one,” Elle recalls. “At this point, I’m closer to my Slovak neighbours than I am to some family members.”

This sense of community reminds Elle of the Malta she knew in the 1980s, a time she fondly remembers for its simplicity and neighbourly spirit. Despite this nostalgia, she insists she has no desire to return to the island permanently. “We moved in April 2022 and haven’t looked back,” she says.

“I’ll never live in Malta again. Even when I visit, I only stay for 36 hours.”

I’ll never live in Malta again. Even when I visit, I only stay for 36 hours before leaving- Elle Bonello Azzopardi Ibbotson

For Elle, the decision to leave Malta was not just about escaping the hectic pace or overdevelopment. It was about finding a place where she and Zara could build a life rooted in peace, sustainability, and community.

“I want a quiet life more than anything,” she says, “and that no longer exists in Malta, or from what I hear, even in Gozo.”

But in Slovakia, they’ve found exactly what they were searching for: a slower, quieter way of living, surrounded by nature and a supportive community.