Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, I spent the first 26 years of my life living, studying and working in four different Canadian provinces. I graduated from the geology program at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Lindsay, Ontario, and I have worked as an environmental geologist and (more recently) as a software engineer and business intelligence architect.

I moved to Raleigh, North Carolina in the winter of 2001. The mysteries and complexities of the American south have slowly revealed themselves to me, and I am fascinated by North Carolina’s rich social and material cultural heritage.

Among my favorite activities are my long Saturday morning drives through rural North Carolina. Armed with nothing more than my beat-up old pickup truck, my trusty four-legged furry best friend, a point-and-shoot digital camera and a willingness to get entirely lost, I delight in meandering along the twisting side roads of the state’s rural counties.

I’m inspired by William Least Heat-Moon’s book Blue Highways and Robert Pirsig’s book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Like them, I avoid highways and interstates at all costs and choose instead to drive on secondary roads. Experience has taught me that history isn’t experienced at 80 mph on eight lane roads.

You may have known me as the absent.canadian, my former blog moniker. That blog thrived from 2005 through 2009 before winding down rather organically. I won’t be reposting my old content for now; I’d prefer to focus on my weekly travels throughout the state, and the wonderful discoveries that I make along the way.

Feedback is always welcome, and I encourage you to leave a comment if you find something particularly thoughtful, provocative or noteworthy. You can also email me at mike at mikehelms dot org.