Do you ever just start things and then before you know it spirals into something else and suddenly you are left wondering how the hell you got here? Maybe it’s normal, I’m not sure but it certainly seems to be a trait of mine.
Like I go to Australia for the classic gap year and end up mustering over two thousand head of cattle through a 35,000 acre cattle ranch that you have been left in charge of.
Or suddenly I’m teaching in a rural town in China for a year, even though I hate standing up in front of a crowd and I can’t stand being the centre of attention (still hate it btw but got pretty good at grin & fake it!)
Or perhaps you are just learning to code during the pandemic because your partner wants to learn and the next minute you have a job sponsorship and end up working for one of the biggest consultancy firms globally as a data engineer.
Maybe you decide you want to experience living in Europe before Brexit kicks in, randomly find a house sitting ad for a family that specifically needs a couple to stay for a year, one video call from India and next thing you know you are living in a quaint french village walking daily to the boulangerie. A year which then leads to 5+ continuous years of house-sitting!
Am I just impulsive or are all these unintentional plans just down to being open to opportunities, or perhaps it’s my stubborn streak playing out? Either way it got me thinking about how these events have changed the course of my life and shaped what comes next - which predictably is unpredictable.
Unpacking the Wild Detours
So let’s unpack these wild detours a bit. Take the cattle ranch in Australia. I showed up thinking about the classic gap year experience beach, surf and party certainly not wrangling 2,000 cows across dusty plains. I’ve always loved horse riding and was a decent rider so it’s not wildly out there that I would live out the cowgirl fantasy. But sticking it out beyond the usual couple of months (required for the visa) I think that’s my stubbornness coming into play! Stubborn enough to say yes to the unknown, then dig in when it’s sweaty and scary. It’s not blind impulse; it’s refusing to bail when the path gets thorny. People like that? We build resilience like muscle memory. You don’t just survive a ranch; you learn you can herd chaos and conquer fears.
Then China, a teaching gig in a town that had never seen foreigners. Hating crowds and attention didn’t stop me - stubbornness kicked in as that quiet “I hate this, but I’m going to do it anyway” voice took over. Faking it till you make it isn’t for quitters; it’s for folks who lean into discomfort because growth’s hiding somewhere in there. What does it say? Adaptability wrapped in sheer will. You become the person who thrives in the spotlight they never wanted, and suddenly public speaking fears are manageable. Does it go away? No. Do I hate it less? Again, no. But can I do it? Absolutely!
Coding during lockdown? Partner’s idea, sure, but I jumped in, snagged a sponsorship(a lot of tears later), and landed at a top consultancy as a data engineer. That’s classic stubborn curiosity - starting small, refusing to half-ass it, and letting competence snowball. It paints a picture of someone who’s a quick study, not afraid to pivot careers on a whim if it smells like potential. Doors fly open for people who code their way out of boredom. That’s the lesson here.
And the house-sitting era? One ad, one call from India and boom - France for a year, then five more years of various gigs across Europe. That’s openness on steroids, but laced with that stubborn commitment to follow through. No backing out, just taking opportunities as they come. It reveals a nomadic soul who’s loyal to the adventure, collecting lives like souvenirs. Or perhaps just a stubborn soul who refuses to take the path well trodden.
Stubborn Impulsivity
String ‘em together, and yeah, perhaps it’s stubborn impulsivity—saying yes, then bulldozing doubts to make it stick. These stories scream “an opportunist with a mule’s determination.” It’s shaped me into someone who trusts the spiral, bets on the unpredictable, and comes out tougher, wiser and maybe even weirder! What’s next? Who knows - either way, I’m all in. Stubborn girls don’t do half-measures.
Stubborn: having or showing dogged determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something, especially in spite of good arguments or reasons to do so.
A negative trait or a compliment, you can decide.