15+ People Who Made a Last-Minute Decision That Changed Everything

Sometimes, impulsive decisions not only save us from heartache but can completely change the course of our lives. On the Internet, thousands of people share stories about how a last-minute choice led them to a completely unexpected destination: from meeting the love of their lives to avoiding catastrophe by a hair's breadth. So get ready for a roller coaster of anecdotes that will make you think twice the next time you say, "Well, whatever."

• I was a little kid and my parents had the atlas out and were planning how to get home from my grandparents' house in rural Utah. They were going to take a scenic route. I had a huge bad feeling and cried and pointed to I-70 and said, "We can go this way and then down from Kansas City, MO to get home!"
  My parents made a fuss, but then decided to take the I-70 route the morning we left. When we got back to Missouri, we found out that there had been a huge landslide on one of the roads we would've taken. @maniccatmeow / Reddit
• My friend and I were at an after-party and decided to take a taxi to the airport. The plan was to book tickets for the first flight that morning. We ended up in Amsterdam for the weekend. @zitler / Reddit
• I (a US citizen) ordered a video game from the UK that I saw a post about on a webcomic. It was a spur of the moment "that looks neat" thing that I immediately forgot about until it turned up a week later.
  I ended up joining the community around the developer's games, which eventually led to me meeting my (now) wife (a UK citizen). I now live in the UK, having moved my whole life here. I never imagined that this would be the direction my life would take. It's 100% down to that one random decision. @Narmotur / Reddit

• It was the last day of the month, my flatmates had already moved out, and I had simply forgotten to find a new place to live. I was living in northern British Columbia at the time, so without thinking, I packed everything I wanted to take with me into a Cessna 172 and flew to Edmonton to live, all in one day. I gave myself two weeks to find a job to decide if I was going to stay there, only applied to one place, got the job and stayed. @ditchtwicker / Reddit
• I was living in the middle of nowhere in the state of WA when I was offered a job interview in NYC. I was desperate, and even though I hated the idea of the job, I felt like I had no other choice, so I said yes.
  I flew back to Seattle and my friend who was picking me up for the 3-hour drive home said, "Do you mind if we stop at this office? I have an interview." She was my ride, so I had no choice. While I was killing time in the waiting room, one of the employees walked by and said hello.
  We struck up a conversation and exchanged phone numbers. He called me that night. He wasn't just an employee, he was the owner and president of the company. He offered me a job. That job changed my life and set me on an incredible journey. @HeyYouAllie / Reddit
• My son and daughter-in-law were planning a big family holiday, taking both sides of the family to the sea. When I tried to say no, they insisted, "It won't be the same without you!" Reluctantly, I agreed.
  At the airport, while everyone was busy checking in, I quietly walked over to another counter. Instead of boarding their flight, I bought a last-minute ticket to a cozy mountain retreat I'd always wanted to visit. When my son called me in a panic, asking where I was, I calmly said, "I needed some peace and quiet this week. Enjoy your trip!"
  At the end of the week, they called me again and admitted that the holiday had been chaotic, with endless arguments about schedules and meals. "We should've gone to the mountains with you," my daughter-in-law joked. I guess my escape wasn't such a bad idea after all.

• I went on a trip with some friends. That trip made me realize how unbelievably unhappy I was in my relationship. It took a while, but I ended things, and now I'm married to an absolutely incredible man. Still, it drastically changed my outlook and helped me make the decision to pursue my happiness. @Unknown / Reddit
• I was driving my youngest son home from Scouts. We were stopped at a traffic light waiting to turn left. There was a car coming from the opposite direction, and it was driving quite fast. The light turned green, and I was about to move forward and make the turn when I heard my father's voice in my head shouting "my-nickname DON'T" in my native language.
  My father had been dead for several years by then. I hesitated, thinking the other guy can't see the traffic lights, the sun is in his eyes. It was late afternoon and the sun was behind me.
  He blew right through his red light. It all happened in a split second. I am convinced that if I had not hesitated because of my father's voice in my head, my son and I would have been seriously injured. The other car would have hit us at a good 50 miles per hour. @Defiant-Pilot-2525 / Reddit
• My ex-girlfriend and I had planned to visit the Caribbean with her family. A few months before we were supposed to go, she unexpectedly broke up with me. I called the airline and told them my sob story (which they laughed at) and told them I wanted to change my flight from the Caribbean to Iceland.
  I ended up driving around the Ring Road, my first solo international trip. I stayed in hostels, met a bunch of people and had adventures I never knew I was capable of. It lit my fire, and I've been in love with solo travel and seeing as much of the world as possible ever since. @KaiserChavez / Reddit

• My parents often went camping by the lake and stayed in the same secluded spot. I was a kid and loved going with them. But on one of those trips, when we were packing up, I suddenly decided I wanted to stay at home and play computer games.
  When they got home, they told me that there had been a storm at the lake and a pine tree had fallen right where my tent used to be. @Enough_Signal5241 / Reddit
• I got bored with my programming job in Rotterdam in 2002, so I went online and booked a round-the-world ticket. Got rid of all my stuff and headed off into the wild blue yonder with my laptop, a backpack and about $600 to my name.
  I ended up spending most of my time working in Brisbane before heading to Asia and doing the second most spontaneous thing I've ever done. Buying a ticket to Seattle for a month to visit my girlfriend (who I met in Brisbane) instead of going to India and Nepal.
  Followed by the third most spontaneous thing I've ever done. Deciding to stay after the month rather than use my return ticket. I've been here ever since and am happily married. @spikefu / Reddit
• When I first moved to Minneapolis in 2016, I didn't have a job and I only had enough money to pay my first month's rent. My friend took me to the mall where they worked, and we went into about 15 stores to apply for jobs. On the way out, I saw a huge sign that said "CHEESE" and I stopped my boyfriend because I LOVE cheese.
  Feeling bold (and desperate for a job), I asked the woman behind the counter if they were hiring, and she gave me an application. By some miracle, they were the first company to call me back after I had handed in all my applications, and they were also the company that offered me the most money.
  Almost 10 years later and I'm now the head of customer support for the same cheese company! @sprouttherainbow / Reddit

• At 56, I'd barely traveled much and had never left my country. When my daughter found a cheap deal to Paris, she insisted I join her, "Mum, it's the city of love! You have to come!" I laughed it off, but her excitement won me over.
  At the airport, I accidentally bumped into someone. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" I said, then froze. Standing in front of me was Adam, my old friend from university, someone I hadn't seen in over 30 years. We ended up chatting while waiting for our flight and discovered that he was also going to Paris - on a solo holiday.
  We caught up and ended up spending a good part of the trip together. It was a really enjoyable experience, but we eventually drifted apart as he had moved to another city. He was only at the airport that day because he was visiting some friends in my town.
• I was living in Switzerland and went to a techno event in Nice, France in June 2014. I saw a woman with a Hasselblad on the Promenade De Anglais next to the beach! I have to tell you, I love old cameras.
  So I went over and asked her about the camera, and we talked and talked! She was American, I am German, and I invited her to come with me and my friend to this techno event! We all had a great time, but she had to go to Paris to catch a flight to Los Angeles!
  Today we are still together. We decided in January 2015 to quit our jobs and travel the world, and in May 2015 we started! @Gabbimonkey / Reddit
• When I was 18, I had tickets for a Bobcat concert, but I was driving my mum's car (actually my car, but in her name). The car was broken into and the driver's side window was smashed. It was a piece of junk. Nobody wanted it. They stole my ghetto blaster.
  I tried to leave and my mum and I had a big fight. After the concert, I went to the flat of my boyfriend of 4 months. I told him what happened, and he said, "Just move in with me." I said ok.
  I moved in, got pregnant a month later, married him 7 months later, divorced him 9 years later and buried him 20 years after we first met. I still have the concert ticket from 4/9/89. To this day, when I have a big decision to make, I look at that concert ticket and really weigh up my options. @Taz9093 / Reddit

• I was made redundant in 2003 and decided it was time to travel. Decided to go to France for the summer to do some walking. Then came back to spend the winter learning to ski while living and working in a gîte. Twenty years later, I'm still here and it's great! @mand71 / Reddit
• Releasing my seatbelt on Indian Airlines flight #440 moments before it crashed into the ground. 52 more years of life and counting. @HighlanderTCBO1 / Reddit

If these stories teach us anything, it’s that life is unpredictable and sometimes, in a simple "yes" or "no" at the last moment, there is the key to something spectacular. Who knows? Maybe the next big, make-shift decision that changes your life is just around the corner. And if you are in the mood for more unexpected twists, do not worry: in this other article you will find more stories that prove that reality is often more surprising than fiction.