This series chronicles Mike’s adventures throughout the US and Canada, offering raw and unpolished glimpses into his life.
Mike’s life is deeply rooted in his Steel Valley upbringing, but shaped by his travels throughout North America and a lasting desire to build a better home back in Ohio.
Featured Chapters
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Columbus Side B
2023 - present
Mike returns to Columbus, 6 years after moving away, and finds a city in transformation.
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Street Cred
Mike chronicles times in his life when he was unhoused, living on the streets of Portland, Chicago, Columbus, Alexandria, New Orleans, Natchez, and Mansfield.
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Calling My Bluff
Feb 2023
This collection covers Mike’s adventures during Feb 2023 in the town of Natchez, Mississippi, when a Grindr date abruptly goes awry during a roadtrip into the lad’s hometown.
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Down South
2021-2023
This collection spans Mike’s time living in Alexandria, working in Central Louisiana to maintain, upgrade, and restore after extreme weather its electric substations.
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Paradise in Smoke
2020
This collection covers Mike’s move to Portland, Oregon - a paradise in the biblical sense - a cascading hell beneath the alluring veil of beauty and pretense.
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Pardon My French
2018-2019
This collection covers Mike’s return to Montreal as an American foreigner working in a Canadian utility firm in a strictly French-speaking utility industry.
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Trans || Americas
June - Dec 2017
This collection remembers the 25,000 miles I traveled through 13 Western states with my boyfriend Matt, a long-haul flatbed truck driver.
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Dashcam POV
2012-2018
Collection of Mike’s episodes taking place onboard his beloved blue Mazda - Osiris.
Stroll in Alexandria
In this first-person POV of downtown Alexandria, Louisiana, Mike marvels at some of the small towns and unexpected places that have made efforts at better connecting their communities with transit and other pedestrian-oriented measures.
The Great American Circle Jerk
Mike marvels at the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) corporation for its unmatched ability to profit from drumming up conflict and division among young Americans.
Stroll down Masonic Drive
During his first week living the streets of Alexandria, Mike bemoans the lack of consideration for pedestrians and non-motorists in the design and construction of roadways throughout American cities.
Reflections on Home, Family & Belonging
Mike reflects on his personal experiences during the holiday season, reminiscing on his mother, a Taiwanese immigrant adapting to American life in Steubenville, Ohio. He praises Steubenville for accepting his mother and recognizing her strength.
Final Soiree
Mike kicks back with his new friend Robert and throws an impromptu soiree to commemorate the final days of Crimson House Alexandria, as his eviction date draws ominously near…
Rent Coming Due
Mike struggles to raise the funds needed to save Crimson House Alexandria from imminent closure, to prevent from being evicted from his home in Louisiana.
How My Hometown Has Changed
Mike expresses his deep concern for the political shift in his home state of Ohio, attributing it partly to demographic changes linked to the shale gas boom and an exodus of college-bound graduates away to coastal cities.
Humility, Listening & Understanding
Mike shares his thoughts on the declining state of American society, emphasizing the loss of humility and genuine understanding in online and real-life conversations.
Mike also expresses his deep concern for the political shift in his home state of Ohio, attributing it partly to demographic changes linked to the shale gas boom and an exodus of college-bound graduates away to coastal cities.
The Portland She-bacle
Two years after the 2020 West Coast wildfires, Mike recounts the traumatic events he faced mere months after moving to Portland, Oregon. Bearing such emotional weight has been a lonely journey, as I was reminded while trying to share this with loved ones who would find themselves overwhelmed.
Our Inner Saboteur
We are almost always our worst enemy. We tend to obsess over our imperfections and shortcomings, and we tend to overhype the accolades of others.
To those growing up in small towns or otherwise overshadowed places, know that even the most glamorous and affluent places in America are filled with people wanting to leave.
Silence Means BE QUIET
Silence is an unnatural state that induces discomfort. But it also reveals the extent to which we are accustomed to a noisy world.
Conservatively Speaking
Mike explains his conservative political views, reframing it with the intent of restraining government and/or curbing societal excesses. He likens our persisting depletion of resources to the consumption of frozen beverages in that it occurs in abrupt stages, rather than a linear decrease in supply.