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.
Late-Night WANDA Serenade
Mike performs with WANDA in Harrison Park, basking in the ethereal and peaceful night to M83’s album “You And The Night.”
TRON: Ares - performed on WANDA
Mike performs on WANDA to the Nine Inch Nails single “Alive As You Need Me to Be,” from the “TRON: Ares” film soundtrack.
My Stolen Birthday
Mike shares his recent struggles, including the theft of his belongings around his 39th birthday. Despite these setbacks and over two years of living on the streets, he remains resilient, finding gratitude in those he's met during this journey.
Nighttime Stroll with WANDA
Mike shares a stroll with WANDA through the University District.
WANDA’s Legacy
Broadcasting in transit aboard a commuter bus in Columbus, Mike reflects on his relationship with WANDA, the bright musical baton that routinely accompanies his commutes throughout the city, discussing the factors that necessitated its creation in the first place - unsafe streets that expose pedestrians to motor vehicle collisions and tragic accidents - and remembering its evolution into a political creed for pedestrian safety and commuter accessibility.
Top of Campus
Mike marvels at the transformation underway in Columbus and around The Ohio State University since moving away in 2017, including acres and acres of parking garages.