Curiously Confused

In this last part (finally!) my dad talks about how a fourth-grade aptitude test first pointed him toward architecture, even though he didn’t fully understand it then. After an accident affected his ability to draw, he shifted from art to architecture and started studying at a community college. Instead of following a traditional degree path, he jumped straight into work and learned on the job, qu...

In part two, my dad talks about how architecture interested him from a young age, but after an accident affected his ability to draw, he shifted focus and started working right after community college instead of pursuing a traditional degree. He learned a lot on the job from mentors and quickly took on big responsibilities. He reflects on how technology has changed architecture over time, making i...

In this episode, I have a candid and fun conversation about faith and family with my dad. We dive into how his experiences growing up shaped his beliefs and how those beliefs influenced me. It’s a relaxed, honest chat where we laugh and reflect on the ways faith has evolved between our generations. It’s really about understanding him better and exploring what faith means to both of us. Verse’s Rel...

In this episode of Curiously Confused, I talk about losing a past recording and how it brought back memories of how much I loved documenting life as a kid through videos, journals, and little creative moments. I’ve always wanted to hold onto the things that matter. But over time, I started using temporary fixes like control and routines to try to feel okay. They helped for a bit, but never lasted....

In this episode of Curiously Confused, I talk with my friend Paola (Pow Pow) about her powerful story of transformation. She shares how losing her dad at a young age and growing up in a broken home led her down a path of addiction, deep hurt, and identity struggles. But everything began to change when she encountered Jesus through Teen Challenge. Paola opens up about what it looked like to surrend...

In part 2 of our chat, we dive even deeper into what real life in ministry looks like. We talk about the heartbreak of seeing people drift away from their faith, and how God uses even those painful moments to grow and shape us. We also share a lot about staying close to Jesus when ministry gets heavy and messy, and how it’s not about having all the answers… It’s about trusting Him through it all....

Today, I had the privilege of sitting down with my grandpa, Paul, who’s a pastor at a local Calvary Chapel. We talked about his journey from being raised Catholic, attending Catholic school, serving as an altar boy, and being deeply rooted in tradition to discovering a personal relationship with Jesus. His turning point came when he started attending Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and heard the Bible t...

In this episode, I reflect on my journey of growing closer to Jesus, starting from my Christian upbringing. I attended church regularly as a kid, but it became more of a routine than something I actively participated in. As I grew older, especially during high school, I faced a lot of personal challenges, from moving homes, family changes, and shifts in friendships that made me feel lost and dista...

In this episode, I talk with my good friend Shannon about some questions surrounding Christianity. Her and I tackle some big questions about Christianity and faith. We share personal experiences, from how we came to build our own relationships with God to navigating tricky topics like women speaking in church, why Jesus sacrificed himself, and how to love others selflessly. We also wrestle with qu...

In this episode of Curiously Confused, I’m joined by Anthony as he reflects on his personal faith journey, sharing both the challenges and the growth he’s experienced. He talks about the struggles he faced balancing work, school, and caring for his sick mother, and how he found strength through prayer and scripture. Anthony emphasizes the importance of trusting God’s timing, especially in relation...

In Part 2, I continue talking In this episode with Naomi who shares how her move from Mexico to the U.S. deepened her faith, transforming her relationship with Jesus from something familiar to something deeply personal. She opens up about the challenges of being away from family, adapting to a new culture, and finding strength in God as her foundation. Through her journey, she discovered a church...

In Part 1 of this episode, I talk with Naomi, a 24-year-old aspiring chef from Mexico, about her journey moving to the U.S. for a hotel internship. She shares her initial excitement and nerves, from adjusting to a new work environment to forming connections with her coworkers. One of her biggest culture shocks has been the respect for work breaks, which contrasts with Mexico's fast-paced, dema...

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Shannon, a first-year high school history teacher, to dive into her journey into education. We start by chatting about her inspiration to become a teacher, which goes back to when she was in sixth grade, and how that early spark guided her toward history in college. Shannon shares the challenges and surprises she faced while navigating her way through a t...

In this episode of Curiously Confused, I continue the conversation on confidence, exploring how trust in yourself and others shapes decision-making and resilience. I discuss handling uncertainty, maintaining self-assurance, and the role of communication in building trust and avoiding misunderstandings. I also share my personal experiences with criticism and how it impacts confidence, the differenc...

In this first part of my series on confidence, I share how I’ve learned to build it, from “faking it till you make it” to making confident decisions and surrounding myself with the right people. I also talk about how past friendships shaped my self-esteem and why a supportive community, especially church, has been so important. Part two is coming soon, and I’m aiming to upload weekly on Mondays. S...

In this episode of Curiously Confused, I had the chance to sit down with my grandma, Jeanne! Together, we dive into some big topics about Christianity. We explored how Christianity differs from other religions, and the main takeaway was this: most religions focus on trying to be “good enough” to reach God, but Christianity flips that. It’s not about earning your way it's about having a relationshi...

This is my first solo episode where open up about my struggles with career uncertainty and the pressure I’ve felt since earning my psychology degree and starting a master’s program I wasn’t sure about. I share how much I love working with kids, but also how intimidating it feels to commit to one path forever. Burnout and fear of making the wrong choice are real, but so is the possibility of change...

Welcome to Curiously Confused, the podcast where we embrace life’s big questions and the confusion that comes with them. I’m your host, Alexa Tickenoff, and together we’ll explore faith, identity, social issues, personal growth, and all the messy complexities of living in an ever-changing world. This isn’t about having all the answers, but about creating space for curiosity, open conversation, and...