Being now in my late 30s I worry that the ship has sailed on being able to do a masters degree while juggling adult life as well.

I wouldn’t let that discourage you. During my time there I did meet people well in their mid thirties juggling work, kids and the masters. Depending on your country, universities can do a lot of accommodations to parents if that’s in the picture.

yeah, what I feel happens is that priorities get a lot harder. I'm two courses and a project away from a master in robotics, but when you have a steady, well-paying job already and a spouse and kid, it's gets really hard to motivate exactly _why_ you want that degree.