LOTS!!
The first was a house I was desperate to buy when I was much younger. We were gazumped and although we bought another one, it was smaller and not as nice. And then 3 years after we bought, the first house had a murder happen almost directly outside it.
Going to live overseas when I was very young due to husband's circumstances. I really really didn't want to go, and on a personal level, I was very unhappy there. But basically I was really lucky in that I got a couple of work opportunities that got me into tech quite early on, which has been the bedrock of the academic work that I do now.
Cancer. After years of treatment, I used my 2nd chance to chase dream opportunities overseas that were the best experiences of my life.
Had my DC while living overseas but struggled to integrate with a baby so came back to the UK. Turned out, DC was fairly severely SEN and I would have hugely struggled to get any support for them, where I lived. So despite it being a gorgeous place to live, leaving worked out in the long run.
Learning to work online during covid. Allowed me to semi retire/become self employed. I now earn what I earned for 70 hour weeks in half that and have no boss.
Was once head hunted for a job that I hated. But that job gave me the experience for a new job, just 6 months after the hated one.
Lastly, my ex, who I was head over heels with. I really wanted to marry him but he wouldn't commit. Finally, I ended it and now I thank god daily that we didn't marry because he's become such a loser that I can't imagine being tied to him.
I very much think things have happened for very good reasons for the vast majority of my life. Think I must have a guardian angel!