Permanent

Permanent: lasting or intended to last or remain unchanged indefinitely. To a lot of people the thought of something being permanent sends shivers down their spine. I admit, I too, have been thrown by the word and it's definition. Some things may feel permanent in the moment, but vanish as quickly as they come. Sometimes we aren't so lucky and we are stuck with something or someone we aren't so sure of anymore. This past week I made a alteration to my body which is permanent. I got a tattoo. I am no stranger to tattoos. I have one already, nearly all my friends have at least one, and my dad has two. I love the significance a tattoo may have. My dad got his first tattoo of a snake (he calls Jake the Snake) when he was in the Army and stationed in Panama. I got my first tattoo after my grandma passed away.

Tattoos are wonderful reminders you can wear on your body to remind of where you have been and where you are going. People get tattoos for many different reasons and that is what makes each one unique.

I for one am glad to see society's perception of tattoos beginning to shift. It's important not to judge a person based off the tattoos they may have. It's their body and their choice! Once I got my first tattoo, I knew I was hooked. I have ideas for many more tattoos I would like to get, I just haven't had the time nor have I had the budget to get all of them. Maybe one day!

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What brought me into a tattoo parlor this past week was a promise my boyfriend and I made to our subscribers on Youtube. We said once we hit 50,000 subscribers we would get tattoos. It took one week to reach the goal and we thought what did we get ourselves into. I found the tattoo idea on a singer's instagram, I hate to say it wasn't a original idea, but I won't lie. Vontay (my boyfriend) had no tattoos so he was nervous about the pain, but I think we were both nervous about what these tattoos meant. What does it mean to get matching tattoos with your significant other? What happens if we break up? We went to the tattoo artist that did my first tattoo. It is by far the best place to get a tattoo or piercing where we live in Fort Wayne. I got one of my ear piercings there and I refuse to go anywhere else to make such changes to my body. Anyways, we made a appointment and the artist already had our tattoos sketched. We approved them and filled out the necessary paperwork. I was hiding my nerves. I felt like I was going to faint which is exactly how I felt when I got my first tattoo. I have a tendency to stress myself out so it's nothing new. He went first and took it like a champ. Then it was my turn.... I felt sweaty and unprepared, but I did it. I made it through the 7 to 10 minutes it took to get the tattoo. They look great and are exactly what we wanted. Our tattoo artist revealed he has his lady's name tattooed, but it's also the third name he's had tattooed on him. I think it was his calm, unbothered, and slightly humorous way he said it that put everything into perspective for me. Yes, Vontay and I decided to get matching tattoos and they do tie us together for the rest of our lives, but so does our Youtube channel, our shared memories, our dogs, and countless other little things. We will always be bound to each other no matter what. Even if things don't work out, I can look at my tattoo and think "I got this someone I loved very much after we reached a goal." But also, while we go through the ups and downs all relationships go through I can look down at it and be reminded that someone loves me, respects me, and has my back. Our tattoos will remind us we are united and we can do anything we set our minds to.

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