About 4 years ago, I had thought about getting a tattoo. In casual conversation with my boyfriend we had discussed getting tattoos some day when we went off to college. I didn't think too much about it but wondered always what I would get. Over the next four years my boyfriend became very fascinated with tattoos and wanted me to get one. I would always make excuses to why I didn't want one, but always said maybe someday. We both went away to college and as our senior year was starting to come to an end we finally decided to get matching tattoos.
At A Glance Author Amanda Contact Amanda@bme.anon When A month ago Artist Eddie Studio Hawk's Tattoo Location Galesburg Illinois The design was decided about a year before I had even decided I was for sure getting one. It was going to be a Kanji symbol meaning, "love." With about two months of school left my boyfriend (fiancé now) scheduled an appointment to go to get a tattoo. Once again I had chickened out. I had visited the place and all seemed well, but I couldn't bring myself to do it yet. I think one reason was I was not happy with the location that we had picked. My fiancé wanted it to be on our ankles. I decided that since I was going to be a teacher I would not want something too visible. I wanted instead to have a tattoo on my lower right hip. For a male he did not think it was a very attractive location since we were getting them in the same location. So the compromise was made and we decided to get them on our upper right thigh. The size of the tattoo would be about 1˝ by 2 inches.
With one week of school left my fiancé found a better tattoo place than the one we had previously visited. It was Hawk's tattoo, which had been featured in a few internet stories and experience pages. This time he made an appointment. Thursday night at 7pm. This was for the first time exciting to me. I realized that if I was going to get a tattoo this would be the time to do it. It was the perfect location for me, something small for the first one, and a very reputable tattoo place. So it was set and there was no turning back this time, I couldn't wait.
The days seemed to drag on till Thursday. At times I was like I can handle it, it's going to be fine. Other times I was like oh no I can't do it. But, finally Thursday came and it was time to go get my tattoo. Hawk's Tattoo was an hour from school so we left at about 5:30 to get there with plenty of time. The car ride was fine until we pulled up. I was so nervous. As we approached the door I could here the sound of people getting tattoos!! I freaked out. We walked into the shop. To my surprise my artist "Eddie" was just sitting waiting for us to arrive and said, "Hello do you have an appointment?" I was like "yes at 7pm" and he was like "who's first?" The next thing I know I'm sitting in the chair with my pants half off. We had a few sketches and he said he could do it just fine. At Hawks they do not use stencils so he free handed my tattoo outline with a marker.
The questions like 'does it hurt' and 'how long will it be' flooded my mind, but I was too nervous to ask. My fiancé, thank God, asked for me. He said it would probably feel uncomfortable and only take about 10 minutes. Then it was time for him to get ready to do it. He got set up. I was so scared wondering if it was going to hurt or not. He asked if I was ready and gave me a tissue to wipe my sweating palms off with. I think it was just to keep my hands busy and something to hold. He told me to take a breathe in and he was start with a little line! Oh man here we go! Then it began. It was so not what I had imagined. It felt like a scratching sensation. It was so easy to bear. My fiancé was like, does it hurt? I simply said no and continued to stare at the other tattoo designs on the wall. I didn't want to look at the needle going in and out, but the more I realized it didn't hurt the more I glanced down to see how it was going.
About 5 or 6 minutes later Eddie said he had to touch it up a bit and then I would be done. The touching up hurt a bit, but not much. He put some clear cream on it and a bandage and said he was tell me the after care, after my fiancé's tattoo. As I sat there watching my fiancé get his tattoo, I was amazed that I had just received my first tattoo! And as many people said once you get one you get addicted. I started looking at the other designs wondering what my next tattoo would be!
After we left the shop we were a little sore, but nothing like I had expected. It was funny how something small like a tattoo can show how much love we have for each other. The tattoo for my fiancé and me symbolizes more than just body modification. It shows that even when we are apart we have something to look at and think about the other person and how much we love them. I think that it is much more deeper than you might think when you are reading this. It is like if something happened to one of us the tattoo would be a constant reminder of the love we have shared always.
Back to the experience, the next day my tattoo was very sore. It felt like a gigantic abrasion, because basically that is what it was! The tattoo is healed fairly well now. It went through some very ugly stages as it peeled, but nothing too bad. I have a few spots that need to be touched up because the tattoo was just small lines, but other than that I am very happy with the results! I can't wait to go back and get my next tattoo!