The Tattoo Story

So, I told Swistle that I would post this yesterday. But yesterday was filled with laundry and packing and Dad's birthday celebration and packing. And also, flying. Ick.

We thought about getting something together for a loooooong time. After the deed had been done, Dad said "No one has ever thought about a tattoo as much you had." Which is probably true. This is somewhat significant because he was not at all pleased with the location. He's fine with tattooed daughters, as long as said tattoos are hideable. Mom was so not into the tattoo thing AT ALL. But she promised not to disown us (joking... sorta). Now itt's done and everyone's fine. Some family members may have even been... pleasantly surprised. You'd think they were imagining a huge anchor or a topless mermaid or something. And inner wrist? SO HIDEABLE. Bracelets, watches, long sleeves, even make-up. It's quite a small tattoo; they took just a few minutes each. It also counts as "tastefully done," I think, and tattoos in the workplace are becoming more common. Our older sister works in a hospital and informed me that healthcare still is in the 1950s when it comes to tattoo policy, which is a bummer considering I want to be a registered dietitian and will probably work in a clinical setting at some point. We will see. I am always freezing in doctors' offices, so long sleeves everyday would probably be the norm even if I didn't have a tattoo on my wrist.

The tattoo itself has so many meanings, there is clearly the infinity (forever)/love aspect of it, but also the connectedness of it and the symbolism of two halves. I drew it (badly) based on a couple of tattoos I saw online. The nice man with the needle drew it much nicer. When we hold hands, I always hold her left hand and she holds my right. The placement made a lot of sense to us.

I am not going to lie. It hurt. I am not sure I quite know how to describe it. But it was more manageable than I expected. I didn't even cry, and I walked in there half-expecting to pass out. Gooo me!

We went down to a very reputable and well-known tattoo place in San Diego, called Avalon. No appointment, just a walk-in. Tuesdays aren't exactly the busiest day for a place like that, right?



All in all, a very cool experience. Taking care of it is a bit of a bummer. It is more the aftercare than the pain that will deter me from getting another any time soon. (Though I will probably need breaks from the needle during the session for anything much larger than this one). And waking up to a little ink loss under my saran wrap/ointment rig the morning after was unpleasant... I believe the first thing I thought was "OMG, what have I done to myself??" But a little wash and all was well.

And that is the story of the twin tattoos.

Cheers!
Alison