Wishing on a Star With Alexia Côté
Alexia Côté is a beloved Montréal storyteller who brings us hilarious tales about life, love, and dating. Though Alexia is quite young, her fascinating trajectory has included approximately 100 jobs, as well as a stint at Model UN, and appearance as a debutante at the Montréal Austrian Society. Her performance career began at the age of 4 when she started to direct, produce, and star in all kinds of neighbourhood plays. In high school, she went on to perform in multiple shows since theatre is her one true love. (Besides her boyfriend Antoine).
On Alexia’s Episode
An exciting announcement about Alexia’s creative and artistic life.
What is a debutante ball? It’s not quite like a Jane Austen novel, but the outfits are real fab.
What’s it like to live with Bipolar 2? Signs and symptoms, meds, the up-and-downsides of mania, how to build your support network, and best practices for reaching out to friends.
Alexia and Antoine Forever: How the magical couple met, plus Alexia’s groundbreaking dating advice which Erica might even try out one of these days.
Listener Question from Family Fix-it Project: A “disappointing” daughter wonders how to survive family gatherings that feel like a third-degree life-coaching session. Erica and Alexia can’t fix it—but they have thoughts.
An unforgettable rendition of Landslide: (You MUST listen all the way to the end.)
Plus, the usual nerding out on morning routines, cleaning routines, and creative routines, for your joy and inspiration!
Thank you so much, Alexia! I laughed so hard I drooled.
CONTENT WARNING: discussion of bipolar 2 and mental health issues
Alexia Côté on the Volume Knob, Heroes (the song that saved my life)
Alexia on Suicide Noted: Alexia in Quebec
Tiny Karaoke Segments: Landslide, In My Life
Mixing, Ukulele, and Cover Art by Erica J. Schmidt in Montréal, Quebec
Follow Erica on Facebook or Instagram or check out her website at ericajschmidt.com. You can also make her day by sending her a listener question to any of these places.
Listener Question
Dear Erica (and Alexia),
I dread family gatherings. I am the youngest daughter of three children, and the biggest disappointment. I spent most of my teenage years struggling with an eating disorder, and undiagnosed ADHD. It was all I could do to graduate and fumble my way through college. Afterwards, I decided to stay in the restaurant industry because I enjoy the pay and my co-workers, and it’s easier for me to do a gig that lets me stay on my feet.
But when I come home, I can feel my family’s judgment. My older brother and sister are ultra high achievers who are living out their passions. My brother is for real finding the cure for cancer and my sister is this unicorn who is making a ton of money running a yoga camp for teenagers. They both have perfect partners. My sister is pregnant and my brother already has two kids.
I don’t want either of their lives. I am happy I’ve been able to heal from my mental illness and grateful I can enjoy friends, hobbies, and a great apartment in a city I love. But spending time with my family shakes all my confidence. I feel like I have nothing to show for myself. My siblings dominate every conversation and when they turn the tables over to me, it’s like a third-degree life coaching session which my parents love to chime in on. Have I ever considered applying for jobs in my field? What about going back to school? Have I tried any yoga lately? It’s like I become the family project and it’s horrible.
There’s also a big age gap between me and my siblings. Together with my parents, it feels like they’ve formed this tight happy club that I joined way too late. I’ve started to come home for fewer holidays but then they make comments and I feel guilty and like a bad daughter. Do you have advice on how I can handle this draining, high-pressure dynamic?
Love, the Family Fix-It Project
Special shout-out to James Junkster for his kind and enthusiastic review:
“Listening to this podcast is like eavesdropping on the best convos in a coffee shop. It is at once intimate and expansive, covering a range of topics that meander naturally but never ramble or drag. It is fun and fascinating and charming, all at once.” Thank you, James!
And thank you to Taes Leavitt (darling big sister, Big Heart Journey), Sherwin Tjia (technical and creative advisor, Sherwin’s Quirky Events), and my dearly departed Eileen Gun, whose generous gift helped to fund my new podcast equipment. Thank you so much for listening! Stay tuned for more episodes extra soon. Don’t forget to follow This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life on your favourite podcast platform. And if you enjoyed the episode, I would be immensely grateful if you could share it with a friend and/or leave a kind and enthusiastic rating and review.
This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life is brought to you by Lil and Bud dog cards, purchasable at ericajschmidt.com/merch. If you would like to sponsor the podcast, I would love to plug your product, service, or project as long as it doesn’t harm any people or their bodies. Please get in touch via my website or Instagram.
