First Tattoo Experience

For a long time, probably since I was 15, I have wanted a tattoo. I went years with the anticipation that once I got to college and received financial aid, I would use some of it to get my first tattoo. At the time, it was the beginning of my senior year and I was obsessed with getting three birds around my hip bone area. Those three birds would represent my mom, dad and brother...but shh, don't tell them that. I wanted that tattoo for a while, but in my head I didn't want that tattoo unless I was skinny. Yeah, how terrible right? Now, I'm still thinking about that tattoo but it would be one of the last ones I get, if I do. After that, I thought about my favorite artist and song and how I would love to get something tattooed. Ed Sheeran's Give Me Love is my all time favorite song and Ed, himself, is my all time favorite artist. So that's when I decided to get the words 'give me love' tattooed on my ribs. My mind was set and nothing was stopping me.

I applied for financial aid, got accepted into college and moved into an apartment in September and received financial aid. I was all set and ready to go, so why didn't I go? I put the tattoo idea in the back of my mind for a few months because, well, I was scared. It's so nerve-wracking, to be honest. I wasn't scared of it being permanent, I really wasn't. It was the thought of the pain. Yeah, I'm afraid of pain and it took me six months to finally get over it.

One weekend, I decided to go for it. I would be like, fuck it let's do this shit. But then I thought about it, again, and having the mere thought of a needle inking my ribs scared the crap out of me. I've been told that the ribs are one of the most painful places to get a tattoo, and I knew that but I brushed it off with a (insert George Lopez voice) "I got this." When I finally decided to get it, I chickened out. I did not want to feel the needle inking my skin in the place where it was supposed to hurt the most. 

But I still wanted a tattoo, desperately, so I went with one of my other options: a semi-colon.

So, here I am today, telling my readers (do I have readers?) that I, Bianca, finally got a tattoo.

It all started on a Sunday night, where my roommate and I got in her car and took off to Orange. I'll be honest when I say I didn't do extensive research. I just went on Yelp and looked through different places around the OC. At first, I wanted to get my tattoo at Shamrock in LA, but they have a $100 minimum and I only wanted to get it there if it meant my chances of....well, never mind that's a different story. So I came across Fine Tattoo Work  and I looked through their reviews and it seemed safe enough. So my roommate were off.

Picture taken from website, finetattoowork.com

The area it was in wasn't something you'd expect. It was in the middle of a neighborhood and it was quiet, safe. I quite liked it. Upon entering, you can see the tattoo artists working and almost immediately a woman comes up and asks me questions and you can tell it's a very friendly atmosphere. It's also very clean and that's when I let out a sigh of relief. I've learned that you have to go to a clean shop, otherwise you're screwed. So, kudos to me. So, I tell them what I want, and all that jazz and a guy, Michael, helps me out. He takes me to the back (Oh gosh, that just sounds wrong on so many levels) and my roommate, Lizeth, comes with me.

At this point, my heart is my stomach, beating so fast. Like I said, it isn't the permanent marking I'm going to get that scares me, it's the pain. But I suck it up and get on with it.

   

Now, the pain wasn't that bad. It was tolerable. Imagine having a cat scratch you, did you imagine it? Okay, now repeat that a hundred more times at least. Trust me, it isn't as bad as it sounds. Or I might just be used to cat scratches. A tattoo hurts like it would. A needle digging at your skin constantly. Michael, the tattoo artist, was really chill and cool. Didn't say much but I loved that because I don't like talking most of the time. Why do you think I have a blog? It takes away the pain of talking with writing. I'd say the anticipation of getting the tattoo is much more fun than having the tattoo itself. But now that makes me want more tattoos.

Onward to revealing the tattoo:

The reason I got a semi-colon is because I'm a writer. The real reason, and I'm only going to say this once because I always find going into a deep meaning embarrassing, is to remind me to keep going. A semi-colon represents, not the end of a sentence but a continuation. This is me, continuing on, no matter how fucked up my mind is. I'm extremely happy with my choice and I look at it, and smile and it still doesn't seem real. I love it so much and the placement is to die for. It makes it perfect for me to see it clearly. And that is my first tattoo experience. Now, on to save money and gather more courage for my next one in a year or so. 

Stay Whimsical,

Bianca