This series chronicles Mikeโs adventures throughout the US and Canada, offering raw and unpolished glimpses into his life.
Mikeโs 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 Mikeโs adventures during Feb 2023 in the town of Natchez, Mississippi, when a Grindr date abruptly goes awry during a roadtrip into the ladโs hometown.
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Down South
2021-2023
This collection spans Mikeโs 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 Mikeโs 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 Mikeโs 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 Mikeโs episodes taking place onboard his beloved blue Mazda - Osiris.
Finals Week at OSU
Mike enjoys a peaceful walk through The Ohio State University campus during finals week, contrasting between his relatively stress-free leisure and the visible anxiety of students preparing for exams.
Commoners Donโt Tip
Mike bemoans the challenges of marketing WANDA and the lack of public engagement with his invention. Wishing to distinguish himself as an โartistโ rather than a panhandler, he struggles to connect with onlookers, who typically express puzzlement rather than entertainment worthy of a monetary tip.
Unmet Expectations
Mike reflects on the hardships of being unhoused for 11 months, contrasting his former life as a high-earning professional with his present reality "on tour" across various cities, and lamenting the lackluster response to WANDA and the Street-SMART app heโs developed.
Letting the Cables Sleep
Karaoke performance in Columbus of "Letting The Cables Sleep," by Bush
Changing Face of the Short North
Mike takes a walk along High Street, beholding the rapid architectural transformation of Columbus.
Changing Face of Olde Towne East
Mike strolls down Oak Street in the Olde Towne East neighborhood of Columbus, while reflecting on the changes and development throughout the neighborhood.
High Street Nostalgia
Freshly arrived in Columbus, Mike reminisces on the Short North during a stroll down High Street.
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.
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 โsettle downโ 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 heโs been working to develop while in Natchez, as he shows off his latest incarnation of WANDA and discusses a mobile app heโs 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 insideโฆ
Sidewalk Cafe
Mike describes his first impressions of Natchez, Mississippi, from its downtown cafe.