There are stories we plan for and then there are the ones that unfold in the unexpected spaces.
This episode of The Stories That Form Us holds one of those.
Annika Bram—vet student and horsewoman—joins me to reflect on the winding path that led her from surfing in California to backcountry horse guiding in the high desert of Wyoming and eventually to Montana. We talk about miles ridden, lessons learned in the backcountry, and what it means to come home to yourself in the middle of an unfolding season of life.
Meet The Stories That Form Us Guest Annika Bram
Annika grew up surfing in Southern California and somewhere along the way, realized the world she belonged in was full of wide open spaces and something more than what she’d known of life so far. She’s an equine veterinary student who’s worked on remote ranches, camped out with horses in the Wyoming wilderness, and built her life around a love for animals, land, and learning.
What makes her story matter is exactly that—her willingness to follow an unconventional route to find something that feels like home. She speaks openly about rejection, redirection, and what it felt like to move through seasons of uncertainty while still choosing to live fully.
What Happens When You Follow the Urge to Wander?
Much of this episode is spent trading memories: a summer spent riding in the mountain meadows and red rocks of Wyoming, a pack trip where we got a little lost and found a new home each night, a Mustang who tested our patience but taught us to trust and let go, and all the moments that came with giving ourselves fully to an adventurous season of life.
A Few Themes That Rose to the Surface:
Belonging Isn’t Always Where You Started
Annika talks about the quiet knowing she felt in Montana. It felt like her. After years of not quite fitting into the culture she grew up in, being in the West offered a kind of alignment she hadn’t felt before. And even though she’s in the middle of vet school in a transitional season
Living Fully Means Getting a Little Lost
From sleeping on saddle pads in the backcountry to watching a young Mustang break loose in the woods, some of the most vivid moments were the ones that didn’t go as planned. But that’s where growth happened. That’s where we learned to trust ourselves, our horses, and each other.
The Courage to Begin Again
Annika’s choice to work on a ranch after college, when everyone expected her to take a more “professional” and expected path, is a reminder that our lives don’t need to follow a straight line. Sometimes the detour is the point. Her story is a testament to choosing presence over perfection, experience over expectation.
Through the Lens of Story
At Unbridled Form, I believe the most resonant brands and lives are shaped by the stories we carry, the ones we’re still discovering, and the ones we’re willing to live into. This conversation with Annika reflects that deeply. It’s not some polished narrative. It’s one in progress. And that’s what makes it powerful.
The Stories That Form Us
The Stories That Form Us is a podcast about the narratives shaping our creative work, our brands, and the way we move through the world. It’s also a production of Unbridled Form—a brand strategy and design studio devoted to helping entrepreneurs and creatives tell the story only they can tell. Through story-led branding, artistic design, and websites that feel like home, we help you uncover what’s already true—and build from there.
Know someone whose story should be told? Apply or nominate a guest here.
Curious about building a brand rooted in storytelling and resonance? Explore Unbridled Form.
