I had no plans for spring break until I did. I decided the Thursday before spring break started that I would go to Austin, TX — not long, just for a day — for the sole purpose of getting some tattoos. I’ve gotten many different reactions.
Most people keep telling me they love them. Maybe they are being honest or maybe they’re just being hypocritical, I honestly don’t know, but it’s not like it matters either. There are a couple of people who reacted in a very funny way though. Those were the reactions that made my day.
“Are you insane?! That decision came out of nowhere!”
Well, I can assure you it didn’t. It is not like I woke up that Monday and decided I would drive for three hours to get inked. Even though that seems like a very accurate description of most people’s spring breaks and the crazy stuff that happens during those seven days. But my decision took longer. And, if you’re thinking of getting a tattoo, I recommend your decision to take longer too.
I got my first tattoo over Thanksgiving break 2015. A tiny elephant in my ankle. It symbolizes strength, success, and power. Three things I want to achieve throughout my life, my main goal.
I had been thinking about getting it for a year but I actually went through with it kind of impulsively. I was on a plane to Orlando to visit my friend and I decided I was finally getting the tattoo. So as soon as I landed I got an appointment and got tattooed two days later.
After that, I started thinking of other tiny tattoos I wanted, but never really got down to get them. I looked for tattoo places in Houston and couldn’t find one I liked so I gave up for a little bit.
Then I realized a friend had some tattoos and when I asked her about them she told me I should just take a “me time”, travel to Austin and get the tattoo you want. I did. Less than a week later I was in my car with two of my friends driving to Austin to get, not one, but three tattoos with a lot of meaning.
One of them is the cancer sign. I was born in July which makes it my zodiac cancer, and I extremely relate to the sign’s characteristics. Some of which are really hard to deal with, and some of which I love, but still it reminds me that we all have good and bad things but we should embrace them and keep going.
The other one is a Greek symbol which means “where there’s a will, there’s way.” This reminds me that as long as I want something I can achieve it, regardless of how hard or impossible it may seem at the beginning.
And the last one is a Viking symbol that means “create your own reality” Because I believe that you should try to achieve happiness under your own conditions, your own reality. Why does it matter if people don’t approve of support your vision? You should always follow your reality and no one else’s.
So my advice to you is, don’t let others influence you when getting a tattoo. If you feel like getting inked go and do it. But please make sure it’s something meaningful because otherwise, you might regret it tomorrow.