I was always different. I always knew I wanted a tattoo, but the timing was just as important as the design. I travel a lot, so I had dreamy visions of a meeting a Samoan village elder who would emblazon my tattoo with atraditional bamboo reed dipped in coconut ash or an African man who would mark me with his family’s design, both leaving me with not only a tattoo, but a story that would connect me to the world. Little did I know, my tattoo would result from me knowing very few words in Spanish – estrella being one of them.
After years of patiently waiting for the perfect time, I got off the plane and walked into the hot Mexican sun. With a map in one hand and a lost look on my face, a nice man sitting in front of a nondescript building offers help. Speaking very little Spanish, I ask for directions to my hostel. Little did I know, this nondescript building was his business - a tattoo parlor. It was clean and neat and eventually he asked if I would like a drink inside. The midday sun was too much for us both. Body language being our main language allowed me to ask him to open a clean needle. I am a nurse and therefore safety was a concern. So, on a random Mexican afternoon, with only a few words spoken, I got my tattoo. As I sat there, totally trusting the process, I knew my scapegoat would always be a place like New Looks Laser Tattoo in Houston if need be. My tattoo did end up with a few uneven lines. However, for what it is worth, I have grown to love them. My tattoo represents to me my openness to the world and my ability to communicate in another language. The irregularity of it is what makes it special because I know there is more there than just the ink.
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