From Taipei to Chicago: Danielle's 39 Years of Wandering
By Danielle Taylor
Thirty-nine years ago, on a quiet Saturday morning in Taipei, I came into this world.
And here I am again — on another Saturday morning, 39 years later — meeting myself at the dawn of a new lunar year.
I've learned so many lessons, and arguably lived many lifestyles over the decades. Yet, my insatiable desire to travel is written in my DNA, the "wander gene," the part of us wired for movement, curiosity, and exploration.
Lately, I've been revisiting my past — not to rewrite it, but to reframe it. To integrate it. To become whole in my present instead of anxiously designing a future that may never arrive.
Because the truth is, the body keeps score. (Thank you, Bessel van der Kolk.) The places we go, the risks we take, the cities that stir something in our bones — they mark us. They reveal us to ourselves.
Looking back at the places that have shaped me, I never set out expecting Chicago to be one of them. It arrived softly —gusts of wind off the river, the skyline emerging through morning haze. Somewhere between the hush of dawn along the riiver and the quiet power of steel rising into sky, something in me stirred. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just a gentle awakening. As if the city was holding up a mirror and whispering, there you are.
It wasn't just a trip. It was a remembering.
A design within me — a greater purpose I didn't even know I was carrying — began to take shape. The architecture. The movement. The pulse of the city pressed against flowing water. Chicago acknowledged that I'm most alive in urban spaces held by water — the ocean, lake or even a river that carries its rhythm.
There, in glass towers and open water, I saw my soul reflected back at me — and among leaders gathered at Strive Together to reimagine what's possible, I felt the quiet summons toward collective impact.
What I know is this: Chicago wasn't random. It was alignment before I had language for it.
In Taoist philosophy, there's no frantic chase toward the future. No gripping. No forcing. Just harmony with the unfolding. The Tao teaches that life moves in seasons and currents — and our work is not to control the river, but to trust it.
So I'm learning to stop anxiously designing what's next.
To be here.
To let purpose rise instead of forcing it into form.
The future isn't something to conquer.
It's something to flow toward.
On this 39th Saturday morning, I release who I thought I needed to be — and step forward in love, trusting who I am becoming.
"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."
— Laoz
Shop the Wander Gene Collection
Danielle was our very first customer — the one who believed in The Wander Gene before anyone else did. Her journey from Taipei to Chicago, her courage to flow with life's currents instead of forcing the path, embodies everything we stand for.
Ready to wear your wanderlust? Our collection celebrates the spirit of exploration and the belief that travel is in our DNA.
Featured for Urban Wanderers:
- Wander Gene It's in My DNA Signature T-Shirt - Lightweight and perfect for any adventure
- Wander Gene It's In My DNA Signature Hoodie - Cozy comfort for cooler destinations
- Signature Wander Gene It's In My DNA Dad Hat - Classic style for every journey
Tag us @thewandergene in your travel adventures and you might be featured in our Wanderers in the Wild gallery, or submit to be a guest blogger!
Happy birthday, Danielle. Thank you for being the first to wander with us. 🌊✨