Last weekend, I did something I never thought I would do. At least, I never thought I'd do it during summer camp.

Some of my friends and I were hanging out during our weekend off, and somehow we ended up at a tattoo shop. (Actually, everyone but me knew we were going to go check out a tattoo shop.) Since we were there, I figured I might as well ask how much a tattoo would be and showed the guy at the front desk a picture of what I wanted.

Somehow, I found myself sitting in a chair with the tattoo artist swabbing my collarbone with alcohol. I couldn't believe I was going to actually get a tattoo. If you know me in real life, I'm very cautious and hate to break rules. I sort my M&Ms by color. The idea of sneaking out or breaking curfew sends my heart racing. So for me to get a tattoo without even calling my mom or anyone else was entirely unprecedented.

"This probably won't hurt that much," he told me as he prepped a needle with ink. Georice, my friend, came over to hold my hand and started making fun of me because I was already squeezing her hand before the tattoo artist had even started!

The first couple pokes were the worst, and then I got used to it. The only way I can describe it is the sensation of having your sunburn scraped repeatedly. As the needle dug between bone and skin, I squeezed Georice's hand but managed not to freak out.

The entire process only took about ten minutes. I had officially joined the tattooed population of the United States. In the car on the way back to camp, everyone kept saying, "I can't BELIEVE Erin got a TATTOO."

I bet you're all wanting to know what I got.

It means "peace" in Greek. I picked this to remind me of the peace that surpasses all understanding that can only come from the Lord, and I didn't choose it lightly. I had been wanting to get ειρήνη tattooed since I was about eighteen. And finally, I've been able to get it.

If you're considering a tattoo, make sure you think about what you want. Exactly what you want. This will be a part of you forever and it will be something you see every single day. Consider your placement as well, since skin can stretch and shrink and sag over the course of your life. That's one of the reasons why I chose my collarbone, since my skin will stay about the same there. If I have kids or lose/gain weight the tattoo will still be readable.

As for why I chose to get a tattoo at all, I am a highly visual person and often need cues to help me remember to do or even just to think about things. Now, if I just glance down, I'll remember to be peaceful.