The shirt I’m wearing right now is currently 9 years old. Damn, I have a nephew who’s younger than that. Does this mean I’m getting old?

It’s not just some shirt that I wear on occasion, it’s a shirt I wear weekly. It’s become a staple of my wardrobe and more importantly changed the way I think about clothing.

Yes I recognize this photo is not nearly as cool as I thought it was at the time.

Here’s a picture of me circa 2011 in the same shirt I still wear to this day. Not the same type of shirt or the same brand, but literally the same exact shirt I was wearing in 8th grade.

When I first went backpacking, I bought one of these merino wool base layers to wear. At some point, I bought another one when they were on sale. But for the most part, I didn’t care much about it. Over time, I would wear them camping, but that was about it.

For the most part, they sat in my box full of camping gear. Until one fateful day my freshman year of college. I had put off doing laundry. All I had left was the base layers. So I threw one on and repeated the next day. Over time, they ended up being a staple in my wardrobe. These days my wardrobe consists of a pair of chinos, a base layer, and some fun socks. While simplifying my wardrobe wasn’t a conscious decision, I’m glad I made it and encourage you to do the same. Here’s why.

Let’s say you’re craving something different. You’re craving something out of the ordinary. Simply put, you want to go on an adventure.

You can buy a plane ticket to a fancy place. Let’s say Iceland*. You grab your passport, pack your bags, and you jet off. While you’re at it you rent a swanky RV.

You can drive around, eat at neat restaurants, see lots of sights, and take lots of photos.

But that’s not an adventure. That’s just travel.

To me, travel does not equal adventure.

Adventure is almost missing your flight, losing your phone, and getting stuck in the mud. Adventure is what happens when you go off the script.

Adventure is trying to cook soup while driving. Adventure is climbing behind waterfalls. Adventure is finding love in random places.

Here’s the secret, you can do all of these things without traveling far.

You can find just as much of an adventure biking through a part of town you’ve never been to or by getting lost in your local state park.

Here’s my challenge to you. Stop watching travel vlogs. Close your computer. Throw on your shoes and get out there. Because adventure awaits and it rewards the restless.

*I chose Iceland because this was a realization I had while traveling around Iceland in a swanky RV.

solidcore is what happens when you let a SoulCycle instructor teach a class in a BDSM dungeon. At it’s heart, it’s a bodyweight fitness class with the added energy of SoulCycle . I’ve been wary of flashy classes like SoulCycle and Orange Theory, but, when I had the opportunity to go with my team, I had to try it out. Here’s the skinny on the fitness class that is solidcore.

You enter solidcore and it looks like pretty much every other yoga studio. It’s well lit and there’s a check-in desk along with some changing rooms. After getting changed, we were ready to embark on our fitness adventure. Note that you are expected to ditch your shoes and socks, rather walk around barefoot. As a traveling consultant, this is nice since you don’t need to pack an extra pair of shoes.

A few minutes before the class begins you enter the dimly lit studio, with distinct accent lighting, and receive training on the reformer machines. The reformer machine is essentially two platforms, one of which is on a sliding track. The moving platform can be attached to different bungee cords which provide varying levels of resistance.

All in, there nine or so reformer machines in a solidcore studio, which creates for a pretty intimate setting. At first, I was worried about looking like a fool amongst my new coworkers, it was quickly evident that everyone else becomes too preoccupied trying.

The class consists of a 50-minute workout in which you go through a variety of slow bodyweight exercises. The exercises themselves aren’t intense, but holding them for extended duration can be challenging. For example, you’ll have to hold a plank while the moving platform is trying to pull you further apart. Furthermore, it worked muscles I otherwise wouldn’t have touched. I definitely felt sore in my inner thighs the next day.

Paired with the workout is an energetic instructor who is all too ecstatic to keep you holding your plank to catchy dance music. It is definitely an encouraging (if not a bit intimidating) environment which will want you to perform. Above all, it is a very supportive environment. I definitely do not have the motivation to perform fifty minutes of body weight workouts on the regular, so having an engaging instructor was helpful.

That said the instructor didn’t do much other than provide encouragement. There were a couple of times that the instructor vaguely corrected my form, but not nearly as most classes would. There was a secondary instructor who also participated in the class with us, but it was hard to look to her for guidance while doing your workout.

For me, the big takeaway from solidcore was the power of body weight workouts. I’ve done my fair share of push-ups and pull-ups, but solidcore helped me realize that there were so many other bodyweight exercises I can start incorporating. I’ll definitely be doing more weighted crunches and sideways planks.

Is it worth the $30 bucks that each class costs, probably not, but it is a unique experience and a good reminder of the power of bodyweight workouts.