About Erin Taylor

Chicago's Roaming Angel and Nick

My name is Erin Taylor, more commonly referred to as Nick Taylor. I was born in Russellville, AR, and I grew up and graduated from high school in Fayettevllie, AR. I have been around the world and back and enjoyed most of it.  Southwest Asia really sucks. I have never seem more poverty in my life. The people will do anything for money.

As mentioned above, I have been around, Germany was probably the best. I was an exchange student in Berlin, before the wall came down. We even had a chance to spend the day in East Berlin. The first thing that we saw, was a guard with an AK-47 assault rifle standing in the subway station.  As an American, that surprised me. We are not used to being watched over that closely (didn’t help that I was young).

We didn’t spend a lot of time in school. We had lots of day trips planned and were allowed to take as many as we could, instead of going to formal classes. We visited The Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, The Reichstag, Peacock Island, an American Army Base, we saw the German equivalent of The Changing Of The Guard and a couple of concentration camps. What a wonderful experience. Exciting, adventurous, educational and humbling.

I seemed to float around for a few years after high school, but finally landed in the United States Navy. I spent just over four years active duty in the Navy and enjoyed most of it, but was ready to get out. I went in as an Interior Communications Electrician and ended up as a 9545 (Physical Security / Force Protection Specialist).  This was not in my plans.  I was told “needs of the Navy”.  It was alright, I got to run around with a gun for three years.  From August 1997 to December 2001 I received several awards, medals and certifications.

• Good Conduct Medal
• Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal
• Rifle Sharpshooter Ribbon
• Pistol Marksmen Ribbon
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Ribbon
• Flag Letter of Accommodation Information System Security Officer / Patrol Officer

Nick Taylor during Boot Camp

I spent the first year in the Navy in Great Lakes, IL while completing  boot camp, while completing ATD school and Interior Communications Electrician school, then followed that up with 9545 school in San Antonio, TX at Lackland Air Force Base. I had orders to go to COMFLEACT Sasebo, Japan.

Japan was fun and I learned a lot. Japan is where I learned to rock climb. We would go out to Nagasaki Falls and climb just off the banks of the creek.  This is where I first organized Arkansas Climbing.

I was transferred to Bahrain in November 2000 and worked there on a security patrol and moved in to the position a Field Training Officer, where I helped train incoming new personnel and continued with training existing patrol personnel.

Many interesting people there. There was an old guy that walked around base collecting cans. The rumor has it, that he put two children through college with the money from collecting cans. He was a janitor, and had access to all of the trash on base. I returned to the United States in November of 2001 and moved to Tahlequah, OK, where I soon meet the love of my life.

After the Navy I went to Northeastern State University in Northeast Oklahoma (Tahlequah, OK) majoring in Management Information Systems and I opened a web design and hosting company with a partner, and we promptly sold the company and received full time positions with Picks Communications.

I continued in the technology field with Picks Communications, Advanced Computer Systems and Intellex.  I spent three years with this group doing a variety of different jobs. I started out as a wireless internet installer, installing 900 mhz end user system.  I moved into the role of manager and later General Manager. During my last year with Picks Communications I moved to the Intellex store to be their new manager. I controlled their web hosting accounts, web design, billing, user management and tech support. This is where I meet the love of my life.

We moved to the western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, that is, Rachel, Malan and Harry (our Yellow Lab), I worked as a Web Optimization Specialist with Web Engineering Firm VisionFriendly.com. The Big Guy runs the show for sure. He has a really good head for business, and when he sees an opportunity to expand and move up in the world, he takes full advantage. VisionFriendly now calls Yorkville, IL home after moving their office from Sugar Grove.

What comes next nobody knows for sure, but I have made it this far with little to regret and have seen a lot in a short time. I am ready for the future.

Back in Arkansas! WTF! Just Harry and I.