Do you ever follow your gut instinct thinking it's the right thing to do, but almost immediately afterward, you feel a huge wave of regret? The following people shared stories of when they acted strictly on impulse and had no choice but to live with their decisions. There was absolutely no going back. Read on for some jaw-dropping tales:
#1 Lost And Wandering
Every time I solo traveled and arrived in a new country. It’s a weird feeling. I had this the first time I’d traveled alone and the first time I’d traveled abroad for a long time. I arrived in Slovakia and started wandering around looking for my Airbnb. Even though I logically knew everything would be fine, it was very disorienting not knowing the language and it just seemed alien.
#2 Dangerous Territory
Me taking pictures of the North Korean military. If I was caught, I would be in a prison camp now. That was an interesting day. You could see them watching us. I couldn't believe it when they told the story about some North Korean guards trying to pull one of the South Korean guards through the door of the building that straddles the border into the Northern side.
#3 Rough Waters
When I was younger, I would let my older cousin talk me into a canoe ride down a flooded river. We'd planned it days in advance but there was a lot of heavy rain in the area and the normally calm river was near flood level. I really didn't want to do it, but I didn't want to let him down either, so I still went. I knew as soon as we saw the river this was a terrible idea. The whole thing was a horrible experience and I honestly thought we were going to die. We had no control and at one point we got stuck nose down and a large rock, knowing if we tipped out we were drowning. We somehow made it out and to the shore where we walked back with the canoe.
#4 Chasing Waterfalls
Canoeing over a waterfall. The first time I did a waterfall, I thought I was going to die. I'd been whitewater kayaking for over a year, had all my safety trained friends there with me, yet that feeling of going over and looking down at the hole just made me go "Yep, I've gone too far." Yeah, stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to... Literally.
#5 Stuck In Town
I hopped a freight train once, and the moment it hits 15 to 20 mph, you're just along for the ride. But the real "no going back" moment came when the train stopped on a siding outside Winnemucca. After waiting there for like 5 hours, I decided to walk into town and get some ice cream sandwiches. As soon as I got 50 yards from the train, I realized: if it starts rolling now, I'll be too far away to chase it down. I'll just be stuck in this town for a while.
#6 Train Surfing
Train surfing may seem fun... until you get busted. Also, bring gear with you in case you decide to stay in a town for a day or so or miss a train. I've gone from Indianapolis, Indiana to Portland, Oregon, and then caught a plane back to Illinois and caught a ride for a short road trip home before. I am just going to state that I highly advise against doing it. It's not worth the risk to your life and it's best to not start doing it for any reason. Secondly, you will run into other drifters out there doing the same thing you are doing. Keep in mind they are usually drifters for a reason. Most that I have met in my years, I didn't trust one bit. I'm not saying they are all bad as I've met two guys who were really cool...but you never know who they really are.
#7 In A Riptide
Stepping off that sandbar, I could barely reach to swim out to the girl caught in a riptide...and not knowing how a riptide worked. It took what felt like hours but, spoiler alert, we made it. It was too early in the season for lifeguards. I remember calling out to people walking their dogs on the beach but we were so far out they didn't even look towards us.
#8 The Bike Trail
Mountain biking with some friends on a new trail, which wasn't even a bike trail. We hiked most of the way up since it was too steep to ride up. Carried our bikes all the way up. Rested at the top for a bit and then rolled over the edge. I remember as my front tire crested and gravity started taking over I thought, "There's no way I'm stopping now unless a tree stops me."
#9 Ski Issues
My boyfriend was a competitive skier in his youth. I went to a small hill twice in elementary school and high school and didn't fall or die, so I thought I was some sort of prodigy. Fast forward about 10 years and my boyfriend wanted to go to a popular large ski hill for New Year's. I was all for it. He tried (bless his heart, he really tried) to warn me it was NOT like the small hill I went on and my stubborn brain was all "Yeah okay, I am woman, watch me roar."
He made sure to get my skis adjusted to beginner level anyway because he clearly knew better. I DID make it across the entire mountain through, making our way to the ambling green circle run I was so excited for, only to accidentally pick up too much speed and force myself to fall (it was that or crash into trees), giving myself a concussion and a super bruised buttcheek.
#10 Falling Fast
The first time I went sky diving was a tandem jump and the guy told me on the ground: "Once we get in the door, we'll rock back and forth three times, and on the third time forward we'll just roll out the door." So, me being the trusting sort, thought that was a solid plan. We got up to altitude, opened the door, and I put my feet on the little platform while crossing my arms, just like he told me to. The jerk rocked back once and pushed us out the door immediately. My only thought was "That wasn't three!!! Oh man, we're falling!"
#11 Still Thriving
Getting in the ambulance after suffering a grand mal seizure from withdrawals. When I finally said enough is enough and decided I needed to quit drinking before it ended me, I thought I could detox on my own as I was terrified of hospitals. I was wrong. I spent a week detoxing in the ICU, and now, almost a full year later, I'm still very happily sober and I'm completely thriving.
#12 Avoiding Fate
I've witnessed two friends seize from withdrawals. It's crazy. One of my friends fell back into his bad habits and nearly died from liver failure. Through some sort of a miracle, he survived and is doing well. I can remember having what was supposed to be our last conversation on the phone. He wasn't supposed to make it through the weekend. Good job, I'm happy for him!
#13 A Very Scary Feeling
When I was about to get on the plane to my first semester of med school, my dad, never one for sentiment, said: “Well, you’re now actually worth more dead than alive, don’t screw this up.” The feeling when the plane takes off, knowing there’s no turning back. It all depends on you. What a very scary feeling that is.
#14 Rejected, Rejected
When I asked my crush if she is ready for a relationship with me. The two hours I waited for a reply took forever! Also, sadly, she said no. I really had tough feelings for her and every time we spoke, I thought that there was something. After literally one whole year, I finally asked her (like an idiot) on WhatsApp that question. She said, "No, sorry." I said that it was okay and super dumb of me to ask.
#15 Too Spicy
“Here, try this hot wing.” I took a bite and for the next 18 hours, I could only focus on how this was a crime against humanity. And for those now asking, it was The Last Dab on a drumstick. It was coated all over. I just ate one big bite. And then I went and shoved my head under a cold shower. Then, it was bed and bathroom for several hours as I threw up most of it, but some got digested. I knew that it was gonna be hot. My former roommate was a hot sauce aficionado. He never once handed me a wing that was less than a habanero sauce. The question was: “Am I about to have a ghost, Pepper-X, Carolina reaper, habanero, etc.”
#16 New Beginnings
The positive pregnancy test. We were trying, but seeing the test my first thought was honestly, "Oh man, what have we done?" He's now 8 months old and it is the best, but still, the scariest decision we ever made. I remember sitting on the toilet, staring at the “positive” in the window on that test. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes, and the room still spun and spun. It was the most complete sense of, “Well. This is what you wanted. Now what?” The knowledge that nothing in life would ever, ever be the same.
#17 No Regrets
It was the moment the doctor finished putting me back together and they plopped a wet, sticky, blobby baby in my arms. Up until that moment, life really hadn't changed... hubby and I could go where we wanted, do what we wanted, spend what we wanted... That was the very moment I had to put myself aside and focus on someone else's needs. 29 years of just being me for me, all done. 10 years later, I don't regret any of it for a second, but I can pinpoint that as my "no going back now" moment.
#18 College Is Over
I made a budget yesterday to figure out how much I'd need to move out. If I work two more hours than planned at a starter job I've lined up, I could do it easily, with all the optional expenses. That's when it hit me that I'm not in college anymore and I actually could have the money to live independently.
Pxfuel
#19 Flash Flood
This one is quite literally a not going back moment. As a Boy Scout at summer camp, we would always take large group hikes on the last day of camp. This particular camp in west Texas was located in the middle of a deep canyon and cut through with a small stream. The day before our hike day it rained a bit but not too much to make us worry. It was drizzling in the morning when we got up but we were Boy Scouts so that obviously didn’t stop us. So our long hike had us cross the small stream up the canyon maybe 10-15 times, no problem, and everything went great.
After a while we get to a medium-sized pond that we all decided to go swimming in, that was fun and we all had a blast. We get out and dressed and we keep going farther up a hill to continue our hike. We get to the top and we hear this wonderfully ominous rushing noise. We look over a ledge and see that the water in the stream was moving a bit faster than we remembered. A friend and I volunteer to go back and see what’s happened.
A FLASH FLOOD had ripped through the area we had just left moments before. The water in the pond was at least 7 feet higher than it was five minutes before, and it was covered in foam and rapidly overflowing. We decided as a group to test our luck and go back to see if we could get out, but the last stream crossing had turned into a very fast-moving river crossing. Needless to say, we were screwed. We literally couldn’t go back, and we had to wait a long time to get help and get to the now almost flooded camp.
#20 Not Worth It
Be careful out there. The mountains are unforgiving. I’ve skied the Utah backcountry a ton and every drop in there’s the feeling of no turning back. You have to spot your escape route in the case of an avalanche (if you can get away). Where you will stop to spot your buddy in case it slides so you can get to him. If you haven’t and you plan on doing more backcountry, get a shovel, beacon, probe, and most importantly training and practice. Just make smart decisions. I’ve spent 3 and a half hours on an ascent to a chute and the snow was too sketchy so we had to double back and hike down to a safer face to ski. We spent about 5 hours of total walking and skied maybe 5 minutes.
#21 Closing The Chapter
I can remember walking away from my ex-wife in the airport. She really thought I couldn't do it. It's been four years and I can still remember that feeling knowing she was behind me now. Yes, sometimes people actually split up in airports, I know it's a cheesy movie cliche. It's okay though, things are a whole lot better now and I've moved on.
#22 Jekyll & Hyde Nonsense
When my abusive husband was doing his weekly ritual of interrogating me and accusing me of some made-up infidelity. “Well?! What’s the deal here, are we just done??” Before I could stop myself I was like “You know, yeah, yeah we’re done.” He didn’t know, until that moment, that I had already spoken to a divorce lawyer and the police and had all my ducks in a row. But I was planning on actually meeting with the lawyer before I told him, so then it was two weeks of awful Jekyll and Hyde nonsense before I could leave.
#23 The Love Of A Dog
Five years ago my dog, Snoopy, passed away. He was my best friend for nearly 17 years, so I wanted a tattoo to remember him. One night after a bit of drinking, I had my roommate draw a caricature of him on my right arm. I'm right-handed, so it was hard for me to draw it myself and I figured that would make it easier. It turned out to be even harder trying to tattoo myself with my left hand and while slightly tipsy. Right after I messed up a line really badly, I decided that I might as well keep going at this point since it was not going to look perfect anyway. It came out very sloppy, but it is also my most cherished. I don't know if I ever want to get it touched up professionally because I kind of like how it's such a raw expression of emotion.
#24 A Harsh Shift
Getting off the bus and immediately getting yelled at in Great Lakes for Navy boot camp. A while back, I went through the YouTube rabbit hole of boot camps. The bus is quiet, it stops, and your whole world changes in an instant. Fascinating to watch, fun to imagine for a minute, but I couldn't fathom what that moment (and the rest of that day) was like in reality until I actually experienced it.
#25 In The Top Five
Hiking, knowing that severe, SEVERE weather is on the way. I got about eight miles when it started. They were dense woods but the rain was heavy enough that I couldn't see 10 feet in front of me. I crossed a small creek halfway through, which on my way back turned into a river from flash floods. I found a somewhat large rock sticking out from a hill and huddled under that for about 15 minutes while lighting struck close enough to hurt my ears and seriously rumble in my chest.
Ended up having to follow the creek upstream until it got small enough to cross, which turned what was originally two miles of the hiking trail, into probably another eight through the raw forest, maybe more as it was pitch black when I got back to my car, and I had started at noon. I spent those hours balling my eyes out and slipping in mud lmao Easily in the top five most terrifying experiences in my life.
#26 Garage Door Dangers
The other day, I tried forcing the garage door closed while inside, because it had been catching on something. It slid with a loud bang and I noticed the wire had disconnected from the springs. It wasn't going to open, it's like 800 lbs and the springs help carry the load of the door. So, unless I got the wire back onto the spring, I was basically trapped. I found some gloves and sunglasses hanging out in the garage already (not safety glasses, but better than nothing) and had to essentially hold the spring with one hand, the wire with the other, and do a chest fly to pull it into place.
#27 A Slight Scare
I got a general anesthetic for wisdom teeth removal. After waiting for what felt like an eternity in a little prep room, I was just thinking about using the restroom just for something to do when I was swarmed by nurses or whatever. Before I could react, they stuck things all over me and I could immediately feel the effects. I remember vividly thinking, "Well heck, no going back now,” as they wheeled me to the theatre. The procedure and recovery went as smoothly as they could’ve gone.
#28 That Chapter's Over
Graduating from school. That was my place of security for 13 years, and now I feel thrown into the deep end. Suddenly, I can't see my friends every day anymore, I'm not at the same place every day with the same people. It is honestly one of the scariest things for me and being in the real world is still scary for me, even though I've been out for six months. I can't go back to that lifestyle, all I can do I adjust to my new one.
#29 Brazilian Nightmare
When I decided to venture alone on a hiking trail through the Brazilian rainforest. I realized there was no phone coverage after half an hour. Then I kept walking for another hour and finally saw a sign of civilization. A literal sign. Just that. It said " Beware of coral snakes." Yeah, I don't think I'm ever going to do that again in my life.
#30 An Odd Ride
I'd given away furniture and cleaned out a lot of my room before stepping into my friend's vehicle to take a ride to the bus trip. I was moving 1,000 miles away from my old home and out of my father's that morning, two and a half years ago. I was 28 at the time. It was my second move-out when five years prior, I moved out at 23 with my sister. At the time, that didn't really work at all.
#31 Two Weeks Notice
Giving my notice to my boss last Friday. I’m across the country from any friends and family, and I have no job lined up. If I stay here, I’ll wind up a shell of a person. So I’m quitting and moving back home with only my savings and the grace of my family to catch me. No going back now, but I have a feeling I'll be a lot happier soon. Wish me luck.
#32 Hiding A Secret
When I found out my husband at the time was still gaming behind my back. We had an almost one-year-old and he had been acting shady. I logged onto his bank account where he had a secure credit card and saw all the transactions from the casinos. This was the third strike for me. I tried to get him help and support and he upset my attempts every time. "I'm not a bad enough gambler to be in Gamblers Anonymous," "I just went to use the ATM and pay my phone bill," "We don't need to pay a therapist to tell us we need to talk more." So, he asked me to bring him lunch at work. I printed off the credit card statements, handed them to him with his lunch pail, and began the process of moving my things to my mom's house and looking for a place to live.
#33 Yup, He's The One
I was meeting a guy. I had pulled into the driveway and I still had the chance to leave. But it was a decent looking place, so whatever, I walked up to the front door. The moment I saw him in the window, well even then I could have backed out. He opened the door and grabbed my hand. That was the moment. I couldn't go back at that moment. Two and a half years later, I'm going to marry this man.
#34 Absolutely Messed Up
I used to skydive and base jump for a living, so you might think I'd say jumping off a cliff with a wingsuit and a parachute. But no, it's having kids, which absolutely messed me up in every single possible way. Love the girls, but I hate the person who made them with me, and I hate every second of my joyless IT career that pays for my terrible mistake of trusting a person whom I thought was a human being. No jumping, no joy, no crazy amazing friends, just a freaking grind for the rest of eternity and man, no going back now.
#35 The Religious Scam
I got a letter from the Vatican declaring me ex-communicated. I am 99.99999% sure it is just some scam because there's a bitcoin wallet address and it tells me that I can "reconcile with God and church for a donation of $50,000 US." Given that I've never been Catholic and am considered a heretic by the "Christian" churches I grew up in, I'm owning it.
#36 Haven't Got A Clue
I started training to be an electrician despite being really REALLY bad with math, physics, and tech stuff. I have my final exam next month, half a year early because of good performance. Today, I realized that I still have no idea about the job. Like literally not a single clue. I don’t know how I got here, I really just started it out of spite.
#37 The Fateful Kiss
I was laying in bed with my best friend and we were just winding down from a long day, just joking around. Things got quiet and in my head, I said, "Well, I am either going to ruin this friendship forever, or this is going to work out." I kissed her, and luckily she kissed back. We've been dating for almost two years now, and I am the happiest I've ever been!
#38 The Things I've Learned
Walking down the ramp of a C-17 in Bagram, Afghanistan. Days later, I'd be at an outpost in the middle of Afghanistan, doing patrols and occasionally having tea with locals who also shot at us sometimes (it's boring out there I guess). I learned a lot though. Naan is awesome, all doggos are good, and kids are the same no matter what continent you're on.
#39 The First Jitters
When I first landed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I had never been to Asia before, and everything about the place completely overwhelmed me. This was amplified by the fact that I had quit my job in the US to go teach English there, so there was literally no going back. It turned out to be the best decision I have ever made but landing in a country across the world with no job, no place to live, and knowing nobody was a lot scarier than I thought it would be.
#40 A Better Life
Leaving my childhood home in a friend's vehicle with basically all of my possessions stuffed in the back having left a note saying never to contact me ever again for my family to find upon their return. Actually, no, the no going back now moment was the moment when I realized that I needed to resort to extreme measures like that to get out from under their control. Haven't gone back, haven't interacted, life has been better for it.
#41 Just Go For It
When I was on my way to see a girl I had been talking to online for three months who lived on the other side of the world. I just put all of my eggs in one basket and said," Screw it." I got that "there's no going back now" feeling really bad when the plane took off. That girl is now my wife. Sometimes you just gotta go for it. I have absolutely no regrets, and I don't think I'd have any even if it had all backfired.
#42 Worth The Shot
I accidentally proposed to my now wife at like, 7 in the morning. I had just driven all night to move into my new apartment, I had no furniture, and I was talking to my future wife over Facebook messenger. I decided on a whim to ask her to move in with me, but I said it in a very romantic, unclear way. My wife asked, “Did you just propose to me?” That was the moment, and I just decided to go all-in and say, “Yeah, what do you say?” She said yes, and we’re still married today!
#43 Feels Like Home
When I moved with my boyfriend 1,500 miles to another country and arrived in our new flat, in a place where none of our friends or family were. When we first arrived off the plane, we had so much to think about: we needed to get into the flat and drop our suitcases off, unpack some boxes, have something to eat, etc. But when we finally sat down for the first time in our new living room and put the TV on, I'll never forget that feeling.
#44 Stealing Milk
When I was using the rest of my roommate's almond milk and she walked into the kitchen mid pour. There was no hiding it. I couldn't even move, I just stared intently at the counter and kept pouring, wishing for the floor to swallow me. She acknowledged it and didn't react, leaving the kitchen shortly after. I bought her another full carton after and we never spoke of it.
#45 Laid Off Twice
I was laid off twice due to the budget from my teaching job. When I was called with an offer to come back to another school in the town at a different grade level, I declined. I had decided to go back to school to pursue pharmacy but when I hung up the phone I realized that stuff just got real. I'll never forget the butterflies in my stomach after making rash decisions like those.
#46 Life-Saving Trauma
Honestly, it happened last week. I had been going through a deep depression and knew if I didn’t get some serious help, I was going to be a danger to myself. I was taken to the ER but things didn’t become real until I was taken up by security guards to the psych ward. Sitting on a hard bed in a cold room and having most of my rights taken away was surreal. It truly saved my life though.
Pxfuel
#47 For The Best
Seeing the plus sign on the pregnancy test knowing dang well I was planning on breaking up with my then-boyfriend. I'm aware there's adoption and while I am very supportive of any choices made regarding it, it is not the option I was comfortable with. My son will be seven in September and my youngest turned three in March. It all turned out for the best.
#48 Adrenaline Overboard
I was free-soloing a 400-foot-tall rock climbing route. About halfway up, I hit a difficult section where the handholds were tenuous at best, and had a little internal panic attack. At that point, it was much easier to finish the route than down climb it so I psyched myself up by telling myself that the only way out of this alive is to make the moves and finished the climb. I don't think I've ever had so much adrenaline going through me in my life.
#49 In My Head
Realizing I'm trans. And then due to the digging into my own mind that led to that, realizing I have Dissociative Identity Disorder. The funny thing about realizing the second one, all the other personalities realize it too, and they get a lot louder about getting what they want. No going back from that, now that they realize they're real.
#50 It's Happening
I told my girlfriend before we were dating I was gonna marry her. I was tipsy and super into her. I had no idea if she just wanted to be friends or was into me or what. I just apparently couldn’t stop the tipsy brain train. All I could think about the next day was "Well, there's no going back now.” We’ve been together for over a year now and I’m gonna marry her.
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