Mike received a BA in both English Literature and Classical Languages from North Dakota State University. Soon after graduation he traveled to Prague to earn his TEFL and began teaching English in the Czech Republic, Germany and Japan. After over two years overseas Mike returned to the United States to continue his education, earning an MA in Comparative Literature from The Pennsylvania State University. Deciding he wanted to travel and work internationally again, he joined Backroads in 2008, working primarily in Italy and Slovenia. Mike is a Minnesota native and, when he is not working with Backroads, spends as much time as he can with his wife in Minneapolis.