Just three days after I turned the magical age of 18, I got my first tattoo. Needless to say, I felt like a bad*ss going into the second semester of my senior year. However, I quickly realized that while I am in love with my tattoo, other people haven’t gotten tattoos yet and apparently have a ton of questions for me, one of *maybe* twelve tattooed seniors in a class of 150. Recently, I stepped up my game and added a full side tattoo (or a "piece" as you’ll frequently hear them called), as well as a foot tattoo. Here are the top questions I get asked about my tattoos:

1. Did it hurt?

First of all, duh. It’s a needle piercing your skin at an unsettling rate. Believe me, I would love to be able to say that getting a tattoo is a painless and breezy process. In all reality, getting a tattoo hurts and after 2+ hours of sitting in a chair, your skin gets tender and the slightest touch becomes painful. That’s not even including shading, which requires bundles of needles in a line and is usually done after the entire piece is completed.

2. What does it mean?

While I absolutely love talking about my tattoos, I don’t feel like I should have to explain my choices to every stranger I meet on the street. My tattoos represent a personal journey I went through. Sometimes tattoos don’t mean anything and were just chosen because they sparked the person's fancy (which is more than fine). Either way, my tattoo is my story and that’s what really matters. If I choose to share my story with you, you’re #blessed.

3. Are you afraid of what you’ll look like when you’re older?

In the simplest of answers, HELL NO! When I'm old I'll be relaxing in a retirement home, showing off all my tattoos while simultaneously crocheting a scarf. I won’t care if my floral side piece looks like wilted flowers when gravity takes ahold of my body. In fact, it will probably be even more beautiful and I hope I live to see it. At that point, I’ll be thankful for being alive not worrying about what I look like.

4. Which one do you like the most?

In all honesty, I couldn't answer this if I tried. I love all of my tattoos equally, and choosing one would be harder than choosing between eating and sleeping (AKA, all of them have my heart). I could say I like one more than the rest, but that would be a blatant lie. Yes, some are more well done than others but that will never mean I dislike or think less of them. I mean, unless you got an offensive tattoo on your forehead, I don’t think you would be able to choose a favorite.