Friday, September 23, 2011

a laurel wreath


I got my first tattoo a couple weeks ago. I haven't shared it because I was waiting for it to heal. As you can see, it's a laurel wreath on my right arm. It does have a meaning behind it, it's to serve as a reminder for me to live for myself and not for others, which was an extremely hard thing for me to learn. I picked the laurel wreath to represent this for a couple reasons. I love classic symbolism, it's a very clean and simple design, and the wreath itself stands for triumph and knowledge.

I have known I've wanted this tattoo for more than a year, it just took me some guts to go make the appointment with the girl whose portfolio I had been stalking online. I got the tattoo done by Anna at Revolver Tattoos in New Brunswick, New Jersey. She was very sweet and accommodating. The tattooing itself only took about 45 minutes and yes, it hurt. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain and it was the peeling/itchiness while healing that actually bothered me more.

Before I got my tattoo I had done a ton of research. I researched not only my artist and where I was going to get it done, but also the experiences other girls who have tattoos. Danielle's Tattoo Tuesday feature really helped me understand how many different effects having a tattoo can have on someone. It was also thanks to all my research that I was able to handle some "off" comments I have already received about my tattoo. I knew to expect them because most of the girls have given advice to expect it.



My tattooing experience went really well and there have been times when I have forgotten it was there already. For those of you who are tattooed, this may seem trivial; it is pretty small after all. For those who aren't, it may seem like a big deal. For me, it's perfect. I already feel like it's been there forever.

What do you think about tattoos? Do you have any, or would you ever get one?

2 comments:

Caitlin said...

It's lovely! Congrats on your first tattoo :) I never got comments about my tattoos until I got my half-sleeve...weird how presumptuous people can be! <3

Courtney said...

Congrats on your first tattoo! I have a handful, but was nervous to get my wrist done. It's by far my most visible. What surprised me most is how it's really not a big deal (except maybe to my mom). It took my boss over a year to even notice it (which amazes me, since I periodically hand her things and haven't made an attempt to cover it). People don't even ask about it that often. So naturally I'm now thinking about getting something on my other wrist. :)