I've been getting in my belt buckles this week. Today, I am wearing my World of Warcraft Horde belt buckle. I know the hanging tiny skull won't last, but it's cool for now! While I played plenty on the Alliance side (my first character was a Night Elf back in 2005), I truly found a home in the Horde, with my Orc hunter, Makyah, on the roleplaying server of Earthen Ring. I am drawn toward the tribal aesthetics. Collectively, it was a more tight-knit group than the Ally side, and our PVP success reflected that.

While it has been 9 years since I've played, I appreciated how that space had its own subculture, complete with shibboleths. When I did play, as the years went by, I joined a guild with folks in the 30s and 40s. What we did during our offline hours didn't matter; we strove for our individual/collective aspirations in this fantasy realm. While I don't know what it's like, I suspect a CrossFit gym has similar characteristics. You're not alone in leveling up your life.

However, there were times when I wasn't a member of any guild for one reason or another; I had to adventure alone. It's why I was drawn to the hunter, a class that is a one-man party with his beast fighting alongside him.

So it can be with fitness.

My wife has joined her own guild of sorts, a group coached by none other than my favorite carnivore, Kelly Hogan. Along with adventuring that meaty cohort, she also has a new Garmin watch, a Vivoactive 5! For me, it's GREAT to no longer have a post-apocalyptic newsfeed on Garmin. We've also competed on steps challenges.

Circling back to this Horde belt buckle, as I wear it, I am encircled by the idea of community, both of the past and future, a community—a guild, that strives toward leveling up our lives.