Dear Family,

This is incredibly hard and humbling for me to write, and I never imagined I’d be in a position where I’d need to ask for this kind of help, but I have reached a point where I cannot navigate this situation alone.

Right now, I’m facing a serious financial crisis. Both my Spanish and U.S. bank accounts are nearly at zero and are at risk of becoming overdrawn in the coming days. Without immediate relief, the situation will continue to snowball with fees, missed payments, and penalties. I’ve already taken personal loans, drained my retirement savings, and relied on credit cards just to survive. I’m now at the point where I cannot cover my rent, car payment, or utilities, and I’m genuinely scared of losing my apartment.

I’m asking for help so I can get a small runway of stability, just a couple of months, to regain my footing and move forward without constant panic.

For transparency, I do have some limited income coming in. I currently earn about $750 per month from my Berklee Online teaching, which unfortunately does not come close to covering basic living expenses. I’ve recently secured a commission-based consultancy role with Fourvenues, which is a positive step, but any income from that will not arrive until a future quarter. I’m also in discussions with a few other companies, but nothing is confirmed yet. I occasionally earn income from DJ lessons and small passive projects, but it’s not consistent enough to cover monthly obligations.

I want to be very clear: this is not me giving up. I am actively applying to jobs every single day and continuing to pursue every realistic opportunity to stabilize my income. I’m doing everything I can to move forward, but until more stable income resumes, the gap has simply grown too large to manage alone.

Ibiza is currently in the off-season, which makes consistent work especially difficult, while fixed expenses continue regardless.

At this point, my remaining credit balance (about $300) is being used for basic necessities like groceries and gas. After that, I have no way to pay rent, utilities, or other essential expenses. This support would mean safety, sanity, and the ability to focus clearly on rebuilding instead of constantly putting out fires.

How am I actively fixing this?

I want to be clear: I am not waiting for a miracle. I am working 12+ hours a day to restructure my life and income. Here's some work in progress:

• I recently secured a consultancy role with Fourvenues - a well-respected company -, but it's commission-based, and I won't see any commission until Q2 (April / May).

• I am currently searching for a roommate to cut my rent in half and stopped my meal plan to cook all meals at home.

• I am applying to multiple roles daily, reaching out to my network constantly, and am in active talks with Pioneer regarding upcoming project budgets.

• I am aggressively pushing my DJ lessons (online and in-person), developing new MIDI mappings for MIDI Monsters, and growing my side projects like Ibiza Maps.

Every contribution, no matter the size, truly helps. Even more than the financial support, it means everything to know I’m not facing this alone. My goal is to get to a position of strength and stability as soon as possible, so I can pay this kind of kindness back to you all just as you are supporting me now.

I miss you all so much and look forward to the day when I can see you again under better circumstances.

With love,

Mike

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What the Funds Are Covering

Ongoing Monthly Essential Expenses (Approximate)

• Rent: €1,600

• Car payment: €350

• Spanish self-employed social security (autónomo): €300

• Utilities (electricity & water): €180-230

• Internet & phone: €140-180

• Groceries & basic living expenses: €350

• Loan & credit card minimum payments: €140

Estimated ongoing monthly total: ~€3,050–3,150

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One-Time Catch-Up & Essential Costs

• Medical / orthopedic shoes (for back issues & scoliosis): €200

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Additional Context

I also carry existing loan and credit card balances (approximately €4,000 in loans and €2,000 in credit card debt), which I am managing through minimum payments for now. I also have upcoming taxes due in both the U.S. and Spain that are still being finalized and are not included in the totals above.

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Funding Goal

Based on the above, the goal of €7,500–8,000 (approximately $8,800–9,300 USD) is intended to cover:

• Rent and car payments

• Keeping utilities and essential services active

• One-time catch-up costs

• Avoiding compounding overdraft fees and penalties

• Enough short-term stability to focus fully on job applications and rebuilding income without fear of losing my apartment

This amount covers approximately two months of essential living costs, one-time medical needs, and a small buffer to prevent overdraft fees and payment penalties while I secure stable income.

This is intended as short-term stabilization, not long-term support.

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Final Note

Every little bit helps, and I am deeply grateful for any support, encouragement, or even just taking the time to read this. Thank you for helping me get through this difficult chapter so I can move forward stronger.