Goodbye to 35: The Year I Outgrew My Own Bullsh*t

Dear Brewtiful,

I’m turning 36 in a few days, and I can’t shake this feeling of sadness. Saying goodbye to 35 is harder than I expected. I don’t want to get older. How can I embrace this new chapter with a positive mindset?

– Reluctantly Turning 36

Dear Reluctantly Turning 36,

Let’s just say it: aging is weird. One minute you’re thriving in your 30s, the next you’re staring into your coffee wondering if this is the year your back officially stops cooperating. The grief you feel over leaving 35? That’s not just about numbers—it’s about the quiet fear that time is slipping and you still don’t have all the answers. Spoiler: no one does.

Here’s what you do have: 35 years of survival, evolution, missteps, glow-ups, breakdowns, reboots, and small wins no one saw but you. That’s not nothing. That’s a damn novel.

So no—you’re not “getting older.” You’re layering. And layers look good on you.

Now, if you’re looking for ways to shift the mindset, try this:

Don’t reflect on what you lost at 35. Reflect on what you outgrew.

Write down one thing you handled this year that the 25-year-old you would’ve absolutely fumbled.

Plan something for your 36th that feels like rebellion, not routine. A solo trip. A piercing. A dinner where you don’t split the bill with anyone but yourself.

And most importantly? Feel it. All of it. The grief, the resistance, the “I thought I’d be further by now” ache. Then remember that life isn’t a race, it’s a rewrite. And turning 36 just means you’ve got another chapter to wreck beautifully.

You don’t need to embrace 36. You just need to own it.
And you will. Because you already are.

With love (and maybe a pickleback),
Brewtiful