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.
Reflecting on Natchez
Mike reflects fondly on his past month marooned in Natchez, Mississippi, and expresses gratitude to the distant friends, recent acquaintances throughout Natchez, and even small businesses who have provided aid to Mike in the form of monetary donations, loans, and/or in-kind assistance.
Finding Home
After having the opportunity to live in seven distinct parts of North America, Mike grows weary of the nomadic transience of moving and reestablishing his social life every few years, now longing for the very thing he used to dread when in his twenties - to “settle down” in his home state of Ohio to focus on building something more everlasting and impactful for the communities and people he cares most about.
Grooving in Mississippi
Mike highlights some of the projects he’s been working to develop while in Natchez, as he shows off his latest incarnation of WANDA and discusses a mobile app he’s working to develop.
Let Go, Let God
Mike reflects on a spiritual moment he had during Sunday service at the First Assembly of God in Natchez, Mississippi.
Reflections on Houses & Home
Mike contrasts between his times of being broke/unhoused versus those of financial abundance with a roof over his head.
Mardi Gras in Natchez
While the sun sets over the Mississippi River, the town of Natchez prepares for the kickoff of their Mardi Gras festivities.
Riverboat Calliope
A riverboat serenades Mike with its onboard calliope, as it travels up the Mississippi River from its former port in Natchez.
Presidential Suite
Finding an unlocked door to the presidential suite of the flagship hotel in Natchez, Mike steps inside…
Sidewalk Cafe
Mike describes his first impressions of Natchez, Mississippi, from its downtown cafe.
Natchez Bluff
A Grindr date abruptly goes awry during a short roadtrip to the lad’s hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, resulting in the lad speeding off in his vehicle alone, leaving Mike in a hotel parking lot near the Mississippi River in an unfamiliar area with nearly no money, accommodations, or friends. Welcome to Natchez, y’all!
Underbelly of the Bridge
Mike seeks refuge from the rain beneath the Natchez-Vidalia Bridge spanning the Mississippi River.
Crossing the Mississippi
After spending 2 years in Louisiana for his last utility/engineering job, Mike finally manages to return to the proper side of the Mississippi River to discover the cute little town of Natchez, sitting atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River.