My Recent Sojourn to Bougie Boulder

Here’s What I Rediscovered

Jun 21, 2025

Let me tell you about my recent pilgrimage to Boulder, Colorado, a land where kombucha flows like water, dogs wear hemp hoodies, and everyone seems to be either meditating, rock climbing, or both.

I wasn’t there long, but I swear I left three chakras lighter and two spirit guides richer.

I arrived on a weekday, hoping for a little calm. What I got was Boulder in full peacock bloom—sun hats, yoga mats, mountain bikes, and a kind of earthy, elevated energy you don’t quite find anywhere else.

It’s a city where Whole Foods feels like the DMV because there’s something better down the block. It’s bougie, yes, but also oddly sacred.

As a voracious reader, I naturally made a beeline to the Boulder Bookstore.

Now, if you haven’t been, let me paint the scene: It’s the kind of indie book mecca that smells like incense and enlightenment. Wooden staircases creak under the weight of seekers. There’s a hush in the air—like even the books are meditating.

I wandered straight into the Eastern philosophy section, specifically the Taoism shelf, like a moth to a gnostic flame.

And oh, baby, did I luxuriate.

There were translations of the Tao Te Ching I’d never seen. But the real gem, nestled like a cosmic wink on a nearby shelf, was The Gene Keys by Richard Rudd.

Cue internal fireworks.

If you know, you know: The Gene Keys is like the I Ching’s dreamy millennial nephew who went on a psychedelic vision quest and came back with insight dripping from his third eye.

Rooted in the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, it expands those ancient archetypes into modern portals for spiritual transformation, human design, and DNA activation. It’s as if the Tao decided to take mushrooms, move to Boulder, and start a podcast.

I bought it on the spot. Of course I did. I was already high on chai tea and philosophical self-love.

Afterward, I strolled down Pearl Street, Boulder’s beloved downtown promenade, where you can’t go five feet without bumping into a didgeridoo, a woman doing aerial silks on a tree, or a therapist turned sound-healer-slash-mushroom-doula handing out cards. And yet, it all works. There’s an organic unity to Boulder that doesn’t feel forced.

The mountain air, the barefoot buskers, the strangers who smile with that “I see your aura” glimmer—Boulder breathes like the Tao. Uneven, unhurried, and deeply, deliciously weird.

And like any good Taoist, I let it teach me. Here are five nuggets of Boulder-borne Taoist wisdom I walked away with:

🌀 Stillness Can Be Found Amid the Flaxseed Chaos

Even with street performers juggling fire and essential oils being diffused at every corner, I found internal stillness in that bookstore aisle. It’s not about your environment, it’s about your inner alignment.

🌀 The Tao Doesn’t Judge Bougie

You can follow the Way and wear designer hiking gear. Let go of the “either-or” binary. The Tao embraces paradox—luxury and minimalism, monk and merchant, Whole Foods and wildflowers.

🌀 Synchronicity is a Signpost of the Tao

Finding The Gene Keys wasn’t random. It was a nudge, a reminder that ancient truths never die—they just evolve into new language for new seekers.

🌀 The Path is Personal (and Possibly Gluten-Free)

In Boulder, everyone’s got their “practice”—cold plunges, cacao ceremonies, ecstatic dance. No judgment. The Tao flows through unique expressions. Find yours, even if it involves oat milk and crystal grids.

🌀 Nature Is the Ultimate Dojo

Those Flatirons aren’t just rocks. They’re old sages watching silently over the town. Sit beneath them and listen. The Tao isn’t just in the texts—it’s in the wind, the stone, the barefoot press of feet on red clay.

By the end of the day, I was floating. Not from any edible or elixir, mind you—but from the realization that I didn’t have to “figure it all out.” The Tao isn’t a problem to be solved. It’s a river to float down, stick shift not required.

And Boulder? For all its bougie, crystal-crusted beauty—it reminded me that there’s space in this world for seekers like me. Wandering, wondering, and willing to pause in a bookstore long enough to receive a cosmic download.

Next time, I might even bring my own kombucha.

Hey, if you’re digging the Daily Chocolate Taoist vibe, then consider becoming a $6.00/month or $60.00/year member supporter to help keep this full-time indie writer caffeinated and creating. And if you’re feeling a little mischievous, feel free to toss in a bit of dirty chai latte fuel into the mix. Because every sip of my favorite drink will help to keep my Taoist adventure rolling.