Nearly 180 miles and a trip on the Hal Rogers Parkway connect Grundy, Virginia and Mt. Vernon, Kentucky, but the journey that Rockcastle Professional Pharmacist Ed Talbott took to get here spans many more miles and years.

The early years
Ed grew up in a coal mining town, just across the Kentucky border in Virginia. After graduating Grundy Senior High School, he attended Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and graduated with a bachelor's of science degree in Physics. Upon graduation, he joined the NAVY and spent the next five years of his life as a submarine officer where he lived over one year of his life under water-patrolling the Atlantic Ocean. Ed, and a crew of 110 people, wouldn't come to the surface for 80 days at a time and had little communication with family. "The only communication was one-way family grams," said Ed. "They could be 40 words each and I couldn't reply."

Ed then spent a short time in Maine and then was stationed in Charleston, South Carolina. After the NAVY, he worked as an engineer in Virginia building submarines. Five years later, he returned home and for ten years did various jobs - everything from computer networking to working at the public library. It was during this time that Ed met his wife, Michelle.

Ed and Michelle actually grew up in the same county, "just over the mountain from each other," said Ed. Coincidently, they even lived in Charleston at the same time, but didn't meet until they both moved back home. "We now have a dog named Chazzy," said Ed. "It's short for Charleston, a city that we both love."

A new career path
In 2005 the Appalachian College of Pharmacy was built in Ed's hometown. "I thought it was a great opportunity," said Ed. "So I applied and was accepted." For the next three years, he attended classes year-round.

He graduated in May 2009 and decided to move to Kentucky after his wife was accepted to the University of Kentucky Graduate School for English Literature. "She supported me, so I want to support her."

Just the beginning
After being married for almost 11 years, Ed and Michelle are no where near slowing down. They are avid hikers and enjoy nature trails and bird watching. Recently, during a long weekend, they spent January 1 at Cumberland Falls, January 2 at Yahoo Falls and January 3 at Red River Gorge. Ed also enjoys photography and posts many of his pictures to his website at www.pbase.com/aquilaet.

Ed is now 45 years old and still has his "list of 100 things I want to do" that he made when he was 21 years old at VMI. "I'm still checking things off my list," said Ed.

Ed said that being a pharmacist wasn't on his list, but he is happy with where his life has taken him so far. Ed said he enjoys working at Rockcastle Professional Pharmacy because "I'm from a small town ... I like it here."