ORANGE SLICES
Mike Nelson at one of his happy places in Montenegro.
Mike Nelson, the 61-year-old former mayor of Carrboro and enthusiastic progressive advocate for gay rights, environmental stewardship, public education, and keeping Carrboro cool, made a decision in 2020 that changed his life. “I was living in Washington DC and working for the National League of Cities,” he says, “and was enjoying the new chapter. But one particular month it felt like every call I got during a particular year was from someone letting me know that a friend or family member had died or was very sick.”
Most of us can relate to that now-or-never-moment: the feeling our time here is finite and we better start living before we die.
And then go back to what we were doing before.
But Nelson flipped that script. He packed a bag and bought a ticket to everywhere. He traveled the globe. He stayed in the moment but kept his eyes and heart wide open in case he stumbled into a country he wanted to live long term.
And that’s what happened. Since 2020, Nelson has visited 60 countries and applied for residency in Mexico. And although most of his time is spent exploring regions as disparate as Cape Town, Barcelona, Santa Domingo, and Senegal, he’s also doing some remote work for the National League of Cities to keep his hard-won graduate degree from University of Denver honed and relevant.
Nelson has packed a lot of life into his 60 years.
Nelson says one of his favorite things to do in Orange County is walk the trails at Occoneechee Mountain.
From a young age, Mike shared his dad’s passion for history and politics. This inbred enthusiasm did not diminish when he came to UNC. While majoring in political science, Mike was the campaign manager for Joe Herzenberg, the first openly gay Chapel Hill Town Council candidate. In 1995, Mike became the first openly gay mayor in the history of North Carolina when, after serving stints on the Carrboro Board of Aldermen, he was elected to lead Carrboro.
“I really didn’t plan to run for mayor, but I felt strongly that Carrboro should remain a small village community built on liberal values with a vibe that screamed, “All are welcomed here.” My opponent’s tenor was different. I won that race and I feel in part it’s because I was honest, open about my gay viewpoint, and earnest in my desire to do the right thing for Carrboro.”
As mayor, Nelson focused on community outreach and began working for various pro-gay rights and pro-environment candidates. He also founded the North Carolina Pride PAC for Lesbian and Gay Equality, now known as Equality NC. He also helped pass a measure for the town to formally recognize domestic partnerships and another granting spousal health benefits to domestic partners of town employees.
After his tenth year as mayor, becoming the longest-serving mayor in Carrboro’s history, he sought other offices, serving two terms on the Orange County Board of Commissioners through 2009, before eventually moving to Washington, D.C. and eventually becoming the globetrotter he is today.
Mike Nelson with fellow Carrboro LGBT elected officials Damon Seils and Lydia Lavelle.
Nelson’s decision to keep his United States citizenship but apply for residency in Mexico was part personal and part political. “I want to feel a kinship to the place I live, a kinship that speaks to my soul and feels like a safe warm blanket.”
It’s a nice gig if you can get it. But it takes money, good health for mobility, and a willingness to be lonely sometimes.
“My annual budget is $48,000. I have learned to travel frugally. I’m fortunate that I had savings, some inheritance, and a part-time job. But my body does not always feel great.”
Mike has had two hip replacements as a result of inherited osteoarthritis. He’s beginning to think that the knees might be next.
“Yes, it gets lonely sometimes, but then you wake up, open your window and look out at Montenegro’s Bay of Kotor – a paradise where medieval towns hug dramatic cliffs and azure waters wind between mountain peaks. It soothes any loneliness my soul might be feeling, and it gives me a jaw dropping reminder nature’s ultimate masterpieces are not something I need to complain about.”
In one sense, his world-wandering ultimately brings him back home.
“Many small towns across the globe feel like Carrboro,” he says. “There’s a cool vibe in the air, and people are laughing and talking about making the world a better place. It’s hard to explain, but it thrills me to know that.”
Mike’s mother lives in Jacksonville, NC, and the whole family has shared in his travels.
Laurie Paolicelli is executive director for the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau, a position she has held since 2005. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Communications from the University Wisconsin-Superior and graduate certification in Technology In Marketing from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media.
These Orange Slices stories have been published by the Chapel Hill/ Orange County’s Tourism Department through its Communications Division and includes interviews with the subjects and repurposed material from website content and press releases provided by local partners. For more information, visit www.visitchapelhill.org or contact Laurie Paolicelli.lpaolicelli@visitchapelhill.org
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