New Tattoo

I got a tattoo last night to commemorate my time here in Colombia. I had been thinking about doing it, and the fact that my friend Jen finally got hers done convinced me I was ready. I had heard a lot about the studio from my students, one in particular who scouted out the English speaking ability of the staff.

I had actually had a much smaller design in mind, but when I saw what the artist was thinking, I decided that if it was smaller it would lose detail.

The whole process took about 4 hours. Jenna waited the whole time with me and even went on a rum-and-coke run. The first one hit the spot, and awhile later I had to ask for another. It was just enough to calm me down, but not enough for any numbing action. It honestly was the worst pain I've ever experienced. I tried to be strong and all, but did yell out 'ow!' at one point. I also remember asking Jenna if I could stop, and she replied something along the lines of 'if you want to have less than 1/2 of a tattoo on your back for the rest of your life.' She had to keep reminding me that it would be worth it. And it is! I love it!

Oh-and what it means. I got the orchid (the purple one) because the national flower of Colombia is the orchid and I wanted to have something to remember the 2 years I've lived here. The reason I chose the hibiscus is that not only are they everywhere here (the bushes grow like sagebrush grows back home), but every time I see one here I think of my mom and the hibiscus I gave her umpteen years ago. They've always reminded me of home.

Here it is this afternoon. It's going to take a little while to heal, and I'm really excited to show it off!