This week’s Topic Roulette word is: growing up.

What does it actually mean to “grow up”? Is it a milestone, a mindset, or just something we assume will eventually click?

In this episode of Unpack My Brain, I reflect on what I thought adulthood would feel like — and how different the reality has been. We unpack responsibility, independence, shedding old versions of ourselves, and the quiet realization that maybe growing up isn’t about having everything figured out.

This isn’t about reaching a finish line. It’s about the ongoing adjustment of becoming — slowly, imperfectly, and in real time.

In this episode, we unpack:

• What we imagined adulthood would feel like
• The difference between feeling responsible and feeling grown
• Outgrowing friendships, habits, and older versions of ourselves
• The myth that adulthood is a destination
• How upbringing shapes our definition of maturity
• Redefining what “grown up” means on your own terms

About Topic Roulette

Topic Roulette is a recurring format on Unpack My Brain where I pull one word and let it unfold naturally — no scripts, no conclusions, just space to explore how everyday ideas show up in our lives.

About Unpack My Brain

Unpack My Brain is a personal journal–style podcast where we slow down and unpack thoughts about life, identity, relationships, and the in-between seasons we’re still learning to understand. No advice. No pressure. Just honest reflection.

If this episode resonated with you, follow Unpack My Brain and come back next time as we continue unpacking life — one word at a time.

Some loneliness doesn’t come from being alone — it comes from never quite having a place to belong.

In this episode of Unpack My Brain, I unpack what it’s been like to grow up without a core group of friends. I talk about early childhood experiences, strict family dynamics, and how not learning to build close friendships early on can quietly shape the way you connect with people as an adult.

This is a reflection on having friends [in childhood], but not having default people. On adapting, internalizing, questioning yourself — and slowly learning what friendship looks like when you’re building it later in life.

There are no answers here. Just honesty, observation, and space to name something that often goes unspoken.

In this episode, I unpack:

• Growing up without a core or “default” friend group in my childhood
• How strict upbringing and limited social freedom shaped connection
• The difference between having friends and having core friends
• The quiet loneliness of not sharing long-term history with anyone
• Watching other people have tight-knit friendships — and learning to sit with that
• How this experience affects reaching out, asking for help, and trust

What kind of connection are you craving right now — and what’s one small way you can start nurturing it?

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About Unpack My Brain

Unpack My Brain is a personal journal–style podcast where we slow down and unpack thoughts about life, identity, relationships, and the in-between moments that quietly shape who we become. No advice. No conclusions. Just honest reflection, one thought at a time.

If this episode resonated with you, follow Unpack My Brain and come back next time as we continue unpacking the things we don’t always know how to say out loud.

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This podcast uses music from Ende.app:

Music: Relaxing Lofi - Hexakaideca

Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://ende.app/en/standard-license

Source: https://ende.app/en/browse

Changes made: trimmed and faded

It feels like the world has become allergic to nuance.

In this episode of Unpack My Brain, I unpack what it means to live in the grey area — in a time where everything seems to demand certainty, quick opinions, and hard sides. I reflect on how nuance shows up in everyday life, in relationships, and in how we see ourselves, and why sitting with complexity can feel uncomfortable but necessary.

This isn’t a debate. It’s not about being right or wrong. It’s about slowing down enough to admit that most real life doesn’t fit neatly into extremes.

1. What nuance actually looks like in real life
2. How relationships become harder when we force clarity too soon
3. The pressure to label ourselves as “good,” “bad,” “healed,” or “failing”
4. Why holding two truths at once isn’t weakness — it’s awareness
5. How sitting in the grey area can be an act of care

Nuance doesn’t mean you lack values.

It doesn’t mean you’re indecisive.

Sometimes it just means you’re thinking deeply — and allowing yourself to stay open.

Unpack My Brain is a personal journal–style podcast where we slow down and unpack thoughts about life, identity, relationships, and the in-between moments that shape us. No advice. No conclusions. Just honest reflection, one thought at a time.

If this episode resonated with you, follow Unpack My Brain and come back next time as we continue unpacking the thoughts we don’t always have words for.

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This podcast uses music from Ende.app:

Music: Relaxing Lofi - Hexakaideca Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://ende.app/en/standard-license Source: https://ende.app/en/browse Changes made: trimmed and faded

This episode introduces a new format I'm calling Topic Roulette — where I pull one word and let it take me wherever it wants to go.

Today's word is maintenance.

We usually think of maintenance as something boring or inconvenient. But the more I sat with it, the more I realized how much of life quietly depends on it. Relationships, friendships, work, and even our sense of self don't fall apart all at once — they fade when they're no longer maintained.

In this episode, I think out loud about the unglamorous, often invisible work it takes to keep things alive. Not to fix them. Not to perfect them. Just to keep them from quietly falling apart.

This isn't an advice episode. It's an observation — about consistency, presence, and the small ways we show up when no one's watching.

• What "maintenance" really means beyond chores and routines
• How relationships change when maintenance is ignored
• The quiet upkeep required in friendships
• Maintenance at work — before burnout happens
• Why self-maintenance isn't selfish, but necessary

Most things don't break suddenly. They wear down slowly — when maintenance stops.

Topic Roulette is a recurring format on Unpack My Brain where one word becomes the starting point — not a conclusion. No rules, no advice, just space to explore how everyday ideas show up in real life.

What in your life could use a little maintenance right now — not a major overhaul, just attention?

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This podcast uses music from Ende.app:

Music: Relaxing Lofi - Hexakaideca Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://ende.app/en/standard-license Source: https://ende.app/en/browse Changes made: trimmed and faded

Some seasons of life don't come with clear answers.

In this episode of Unpack My Brain, I sit with the discomfort of waiting — the kind where nothing feels like a clear yes or a definite no. Just… stuck in between.

I share my personal experience of being in a waiting season, the confusion and frustration that comes with it, and the quiet ways it starts to affect how you see yourself. We unpack what it means to wait without clarity, to question whether something is "not yet" or "never," and how exhausting it can be to keep showing up when you don't know what you're waiting for.

This isn't an episode about patience quotes or trusting the process perfectly. It's a real-time reflection on uncertainty, expectation, and learning how to exist in the in-between without losing yourself.

In this episode, we unpack:

• What the "waiting game" actually feels like in real life
• The confusion between not yet and never
• How waiting can quietly impact confidence and identity
• The frustration of wanting clarity but not getting answers
• My personal interpretation of my waiting — and how I'm choosing to approach it differently

A gentle reminder from this episode

Waiting doesn't mean you've failed. It doesn't mean you're incapable. Sometimes it just means you're in a season that hasn't explained itself yet.

If you're honest with yourself — what are you waiting for right now? And what would it look like to stop treating this season as wasted time?

If this episode resonated with you, follow Unpack My Brain and come back next time as we continue unpacking life, one thought at a time.

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This podcast uses music from Ende.app:

Music: Relaxing Lofi - Hexakaideca Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://ende.app/en/standard-license Source: https://ende.app/en/browse Changes made: trimmed and faded

Welcome to Unpack My Brain!

In our first episode, I talk a little bit about how this show is going to be. And not so little later, we went a little deep to talk through the feeling that hits after the excitement of New Year's resolutions fades — when motivation turns into overwhelm and expectations start to feel heavy.

This episode isn't about productivity hacks or fixing yourself. It's about slowing down, sitting with uncertainty, and reminding ourselves that feeling overwhelmed at the start of a new year doesn't mean we're failing.

Come sit with me, and let the unpacking begin...

Sessions every Thursday at 8PM (GMT+8:00)

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