Last week, I just turned 18 which means it's tattoo day as much as it is my birthday in my family. I'm sure this doesn't come as a shock since my mom has 12 tattoos (or had—her 13th is a matching one with me). Since my mom is the tattoo expert and I already knew what I wanted, I got 2 tattoos on my 18th birthday. Although I love my tattoos and they are everything I could have wanted, it is still pretty scary getting something permanently etched on your body and it is definitely an emotional process to say the least.

1. The Excited Phase.

You're waiting for your name to be called in the tattoo shop and you're so excited to tell your artist what you want. You've been thinking of ideas for your tattoo forever and now it's finally coming together.

2. The Waiting Phase.

While your artist is printing the stencil, you're so excited to see what it will look like in real life instead of your imagination.

3. The Adjustment Phase.

Since it's going to be on your body forever, you have the right to annoy the crap out of your artist and ask for it to be the tiniest bit bigger or smaller, maybe add a new color, or move it until it looks just right.

4. The Anxious Phase.

Once everything is officially decided on, it's time to lower the needle and start your tattoo. This is the part where thoughts such as "I wonder how bad it's going to hurt" and "I guess there's no turning back now" set in.

5. The Relief Phase.

This is where you think to yourself: "This is the unbearable pain I was worried about? This is nothing." Now you can just focus on watching your amazing artist bring your imagination to real life on your skin (which is actually really cool).

6. The Random "Ouch" Phase.

If you're getting any of your tattoos on a sensitive area (For example, one of mine is on my wrist) some parts of the tattooing process can be a little irritating or piercing, but it's really not that bad. Sometimes you just don't expect to feel a random nerve acting up and it startles you a little, but you know it'll end soon anyway.

7. The "Shiny and New" Phase.

Finally, your artist is done and now you can marvel at the amazing work he/she did on your tattoo! This is when they clean it off and tell you to look in the mirror and let you take all of the pictures you want (Side Note: If you bring friends and family members with you like I did, be prepared for them to take millions of pictures of you).

8. The "Can't Stop Staring at My Tattoo" Phase.

You're so excited about your new tattoo and cant wait to take the bandage off in 8 hours to show it to literally everyone you know. Your tattoo is gorgeous and an amazing representation of whatever message you were trying to send.

9. The "Is Something On Me?" Phase.

This phase comes into play right after you're able to take off the bandages. No matter where you are, if your tattoo catches your eye by accident, you're immediately convinced that something is on you and you try to get it off until you realize its just your tattoo (I've done this too many times to count).

10. The "One of the Best Decisions I've Ever Made" Phase.

Luckily, this phase doesn't go away. Every time you look at your new tattoo and remember what it means to you, it will always bring a smile to your face. Getting your tattoo was a fun and new way to express yourself and you will always remember how special that is whenever you see your ink.

I love my tattoos so much and am so happy that I finally have a matching one with my mom, too. My mom and I have the watercolor heart together and "resilience" is tattooed in my dad's handwriting because it is the most important word he's ever taught me. Every time I look at my tattoos, I am reminded of resilience, strength, and the bond between me and my family. I hope everyone has the same special experience with their first tattoos that I've had.