About ME
Who is Elijah?
I am a nurse, a tech professional, a home chef, and a curious mind. I currently live in the Atlanta Metro and have since the back half of 2020. My hometown is Hartsville, SC but I lived in a few states before that due to my dad’s job. While the Palmetto state is where I claim origin, it was the 5th state I called home. However, the other four states were all before I was in 3rd grade so I don’t have as much of a tie to them.
I am married with 2 dogs on the North side of Atlanta by the Chattahoochee River. I enjoy cooking, learning, fishing, and fostering community. I love the proximity to the city while living in relative peace in the ‘City in a Forest.’
There have been many things that have captured my interest and mind to keep my life enriched. Of those, my favorites have been food, both cooking and trying new restaurants, fishing, technology, healthcare, college football and politics.
Back then to Right NOw
I was the first born to my parents in Louisville, KY. I was followed by my 2 younger brothers (bless my mom) and we bounced around a fair bit. We lived in Indiana, Texas, New Jersey and Kentucky before I was in 3rd grade.
We found our longest stay in the little town of Hartsville, SC. This is where I tell people I really grew up. I was an active kid; always playing sports and doing a lot of things outdoors. However, I always found time to nurture my love of tech (which at the time was based entirely around video games).
I went to the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina and initially went to school for pharmacy. I realized I didn't want to go to school for the 6 to 8 years it required and I switched majors to nursing and graduated in 4 years in 2019.
After graduation, I moved to Charleston with my high-school sweetheart and went to work in the hospital. As you may know, some strain was put on our medical system in 2020. I will not bore you with the details. Just know that I realized that I did not see myself working as a nurse long term and I shifted my eyes back to an old passion: technology.
After leaving the hospital, me and my newly proposed to fiance moved to the Atlanta area for a change of scenery and to be by family. I attempted to get into the field of tech, but was confronted with a steady stream of rejection. So, instead, I worked as a home health nurse in southeast Atlanta; what a joy that was. While fulfilling, it was not my calling.
After my 4th nursing job, I had finally done it: I married my best friend and got into the field of IT. I got a job at an MSP as the Operations Coordinator.
And this is where I am today. I am working in my first tech job and am trying to sponge everything up that I can. I am constantly eager to learn and expand my horizons with the many opportunities this industry provides.
Hobbies
Whether it is here local on the Chattahoochee, North Georgia or Western North Carolina, I am trying to get out there and wet my lines with the hopes to catch some fish! I also even tie my own flies.
I am a big fan of food and learning, so it was only natural I learned to cook. Raised by cartoons and the Food Network, this passion was inevitable. Being from the lowcountry of South Carolina, my favorite foods to cook center around good old southern food with a good amount of seafood. My signature dish is Shrimp and Grits.
Again, my love of knowledge and learning 'how the sausage is made' has led me to another passion: homebrewing. I am still quite a novice, but there is something very fun about drinking a beer you made yourself. The world of brewing is far wider than I ever thought and I look forward to the concoctions in my future.