

I look at my cousin, my own true north, and I can’t imagine it any other way. Here, now, there is only one thing I know for certain: that we’ll figure it out together, no matter what directions life takes us in. A number that feels like balancing on the edge of who we’ve always been and everything we might become. How their due dates were weeks away from each other, but I was late and Bri showed up early, like we’d made a pact to enter the world together. Every birthday, before the candles and the wishes. They smile and laugh and get teary-eyed together when they tell the story. The universe stretches wide above us, framed by a ring of mountains.

We lie on our backs on the trampoline, drawn into the center by each other’s weight. We then had to re-evaluate our actual skills, and now we’re sharing the first eight chapters of this story with you! We laughed, we cried, and we planned an expert level hiking trip. And don’t worry-it’s not so much about putting down your phone as putting down all the props and worry that come with exaggerating your Insta doc’ing. This read is equal parts relatable and inspiring, and its message to be true to yourself and prioritize the things that matter most is one we could all use a reminder for every now and then. Love inspiring stories about finding yourself, like WILD? Ever wondered what it’s really like to be #instafamous? If you’re like us, in which case the answer to both is a resounding yes, then today’s read is perfect for you! THE OTHER SIDE OF LOST is Jessi Kirby’s latest, and it’s about one girl’s journey to get away from her Instagram persona and rediscover what it means to really live unfiltered as she sets out to hike the John Muir trail-completely alone.
