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.
The Thankless Toil
Mike reflects on his past 3 years of relying upon the financial and emotional support of others. He emphasizes the power of gratitude, particularly in the form of handwritten thank-you notes, and reflects on others who had worked for him.
Gone South
Freshly arrived in rural Louisiana, Mike adjusts to his new role at CLECO, contrasting the "boots on the ground" field work he now performs with his previous experiences working moreso in an office environment. He reflects on Pride at how the Queer community has evolved recently.
Escaping Hell
Mike vents about a relentless stream of hardships and trauma that have followed him since leaving Portland, Oregon, during a period of hell that includes being a victim of rape and theft by an ex-partner, an illegal eviction spurred by friends of the ex, and precipitously losing his job after a mental health crisis sparked by the wildfires that besieged the state of Oregon in summer 2020.
Finding Renewed Purpose Out West
Mike shares career updates as he starts work at Portland General Electric as a transmission operations engineer overseeing the Pacific Northwest power grid.
Facing Canadian Justice
Mike reports from Concordia University in Montreal an hour before reporting to a nearby police station, mentally preparing for his unknown fate.
Vive La Liberté
Mike prepares for his surrender to the Montreal police for charges of harassment and death threats waged by his former employer.
From Montreal
Mike reports from his temporary apartment in Montreal, enjoying a cigarette and gawking at the neighbors from his balcony. He encourages his friends in the United States to overcome internal divisions and find a collaborative agenda to address the country's instability.
Interview Prep
Enroute to Cambridge, Ohio, Mike discusses his ongoing job search and recent interviews, sharing details about 3 separate interviews scheduled this week - one with a natural gas distributor, one with a previous employer in Montreal, and one with an insurance company.
Teleconference
Mike catches up with friends and viewers while broadcasting from his vehicle.