What happens in Vegas stays permanent

When I was younger, I used to draw “tattoos” on myself with a Sharpie. This seemed like a good idea in my little brain because of all the inspirational people (teachers, my parents, my older siblings, etc) in my life. Unfortunately, once my parents noticed, my Sharpie “tattoos” were being wiped off with warm water and a washcloth.

April Reiss - News Editor

I have always enjoyed the idea of a tattoo. As a younger kid, I liked the art aspect. Being able to have little drawings on myself forever seemed like the best idea. As I got older, I loved how meaningful tattoos could be.

When my brother turned 18, he decided he wanted a tattoo for his birthday. This sparked my interest immediately. After further research, I could get a tattoo with my brother, as long as my mom was there because I was underage. I was so excited. I had been planning tattoo ideas for years, just for fun and now I might be able to go through with those ideas.

The big day came, and I went with my mom and my brother to the tattoo shop. What I had failed to research was that some artists are particular. Even though I could get a tattoo with parental consent by law, some artists just don’t tattoo minors. The artist that did my brother’s tattoo didn’t tattoo minors. I was disappointed, even though I understood his reasoning.

About a year later, this past December, my family and I went to Vegas. In Vegas, there is practically a tattoo shop on every corner. My family immediately decided Vegas was where they were going to get their next tattoo. My mom was open to letting me try and get a tattoo, but we weren’t sure how good my odds were of finding an artist. However, I got lucky.

After long research of tattoo artists in Vegas, I found an artist who did end up tattooing me. The tattoo process was pretty stressful actually. Because I was older and had more time to brainstorm since my last attempt, I already had a design picked out but there are always some concerns.

The only thing ever really holding me back from getting a tattoo was the pain. My brother and my mom have never really known how to describe the pain. “It doesn’t hurt, but it doesn’t feel good” is something my mom always said when I asked her how bad it hurts. Thankfully, my artist advised me where would be a good place for a first tattoo because it would hurt the least.

When I got to the shop, we almost immediately got started because I already knew what I wanted. And honestly, it really didn’t hurt. This probably has to do with the fact that I got the tattoo in a relatively painless place. The process was about 30 minutes and then I was done.

The tattoo I got is a meaningful quote in my life, and it doubles as a song lyric in one of my favorite songs. The quote reads “If you never bleed, you’re never gonna grow.” I got this tattoo because I think it is a good daily reminder and something good to live by.

My family is traveling back to Vegas this spring break. Something people don’t prepare you for is how addictive tattoos can be. Since I got my first tattoo, I’ve been planning my second piece of art. This is only the start of my tattoo journey.