My twin sister Natasha and I got our tattoos about 10 months ago at a parlor called Artistic Point in downtown Ithaca. We’ve always liked the idea of getting matching ink, especially as we grew older and it was clear that our paths were beginning to diverge. Growing up as twins pushed us to find ourselves—everyone still clumps us together, but we definitely hold our own. She’s into Psychology, I’m a writer. After college, she’s going on to grad school for social work, and I’ll be spending my time trying to break into the magazine industry (fingers crossed). So, we’ve known that as life picks up speed, we’ll be guided in two different directions, always pulled by separate currents but close still the same.

I came up with the idea sophomore year while doing my makeup one morning before class (like all good ideas, it came at a complete random moment in time). We’ve always wanted something to represent our strong connection and the fact that we have been, and always will be there for each other—it seemed obvious, but we weren’t sure what design we actually wanted. And that one morning while applying my mascara, it all finally clicked. In a compass, naturally, there is an N and an S. Compasses give direction. My arrow would be pointing north for Natasha, hers would be pointing south for Samantha.

I stared at myself in the mirror in awe, wondering why I hadn’t possibly thought of this before. It was simple yet so meaningful. No matter how much distance is between us, no matter where life takes us, we’ll always find our way back to each other. My sister was thrilled when I told her about my moment of clarity, but we knew we shouldn’t rush into it. So, we told each other that we’d wait it out and if we still wanted to get them in a year, we’d do it.

After a year-long wait, the whole process took a mere 20 minutes each (once we stopped our nervous ranting and were able to sit still). The tattoos turned out great—simplistic, elegant, and artistic. And they weren’t ordinary compass tattoos, they were unique to us. I got mine in between my shoulder blades and she got hers on the inside of her ankle. Mine has a quill at the end (I had to get something to represent my passion for writing) and only has the letter N, while hers has both an N and an S. The tattoos are like us—similar, but not identical. They show individuality while still symbolizing the bond we share.

Every three in 10 Americans have at least one tattoo. Every ink has its story—motivational, sentimental, or funny even, whether the tattoo was planned or spontaneous. Tattoos etch memories into our flesh. They remind us of courage and hope and loved ones. They make us who we are, and whether you take a liking to them or not, there’s no denying the mark they make (literally and figuratively). A number of people shared with me the incredible meanings behind their tattoos. Here are their stories.

"It's a paper crane that I got to represent my family. My older brothers used to love making paper cranes when we were younger, and we've always had them all over our house. We even put one on top of our Christmas tree every year!"

–Annie Benjamin, 22

"I have a few tattoos, but my favorite is the three waves I have on my foot. This was the first tattoo I ever got and it represents me and my two brothers. Growing up on Long Island, the beach was a big part of our lives, and I liked the idea of waves because no matter how far they may drift, they are still connected."

-Niki Berkery, 21

"My lovely brother and one of my best friends has Down Syndrome and writes my family elaborate cards for events. At the end, he would sign, 'Love. Dave.' So, I eventually decided what I really wanted when I needed a little reminder of him, was to see his sign-off looking at me, and I got it tattooed on my ankle. The letter I chose to use the signature from, funny enough, wasn't even for me. I took him to my friend's birthday who he'd never met and he wrote a letter that said, 'Dear Jake, Happy Birthday. When you look me in the eye and tell me that you love me, here in your arms. Love. Dave.' I thought this was the funniest thing in the world, and that's the signature I used."

-Maddie Moran, 23

"My most recent tattoo is a quote on my back. They're lyrics from a song that helped me through a lot of insecurities while I was in high school and even beyond. It reminds me to never allow the cruelty of others to overpower my life or turn me into someone I'm not—that only I represent myself."

-Olivia Novak, 20

"So basically I got it during a rough time in my life, and it helped me feel like I had control over my body. It reminds me that no matter how bad life is, if you keep moving forward you'll survive and stay on top of the water."

-Jon Scrafford, 21

"When I was a sophomore in college my anxiety was the worst it's ever been. I was going to two therapists and a psychiatrist every week, and it turns out I was diagnosed with derealization—basically where my anxiety was so bad to the point where my brain decided everything couldn't be real. This scared me so much because I felt like I was living in a dream, but I discovered the way to get out of this, which was to do things that made me feel alive. That's where hiking came in. Getting lost in the mountains, swimming in lakes, and traveling made everything feel real for me. It not only made me feel free and alive, but it also made me realize all the reasons why I should still be here."

-Nicole Curry, 21

"My tattoo is the first letter of each person in my immediate family. And all the letters are in age order, which is cool! It's 'J-H-A-N-K' and the lines around it represent the Native American symbol for the sun. Therefore, the tattoo symbolizes that my family is the center of my world and the light in my life."

-Noelle Iele, 21

"This is a tattoo for my favorite cat in the world. I got him when I was 2 and a half years old and he was barely a month old. My mom and I saved him from the NYS fair where his mom abandoned him and his brothers and sisters. I made it my goal that day to pet every animal at the fair, so those kittens were not going to escape. We took him home, much to my fathers disliking, and we let him wander around the house. He was so tiny that he slept in a tissue box for a while. He was the only cat I had that I really remember, and he lived 19 long years. From laying with me through the night, rubbing my hair when I would get out of a pool (because he loved the chlorine so much), to cuddling in my lap when I would be reading, on my computer, or doing homework, he was more than I could have asked for. I got this in memory of him when he died. He was the best and cutest cat in the entire world, which is why he deserved the cutest tattoo in the world."

-Kayleigh Jones, 21

"When I was growing up, my Nana loved to hear me sing. She's the one who really pushed me to pursue that as a talent. When she passed away, I decided I'd sing a song in memory of her rather than reading something as I was asked to. I chose 'The Wind Beneath My Wings' by Bette Midler. The dove part of the tattoo represents peace and hope."

-Toni Marie Landy, 21

“I have a single rose tattooed on my nape to remind myself that my body is nothing short of a garden. I am made of my favorite flower (a rose) for its divine complexity and simple elegance. Even when my body feels like horrible trash, my artwork proves me wrong.”

- Raelyn Giansanti, 20

"Essentially, my tattoo represents hope, growth, and conversation. The tree of life connects all living things and some say it is a connection from Earth to Heaven. I tend to worry about the future often, so I placed the tattoo on the back of my neck to represent the growth that is in my future and as a reminder to trust what I can't see coming."

-Sam Dwan, 21

"I have a tattoo of a honey bee on my chest. My dad started keeping honey bees when I was about 10. Keeping bees is a pretty intensive venture actually, requiring a lot of time and effort. My dad somehow stumbled onto the idea of beekeeping and was so fascinated by the process that he stuck with it, and he became really passionate about it. He really worked to get everyone involved in the process, inspiring and helping my uncle to keep almost a dozen bee hives himself. My dad kept with it and became known pretty widely in the obscure social group of north-east beekeepers, and we had anywhere from one to three active beehives in my backyard at all times. When my dad passed away from liver cancer in 2014, I spent some time going through his large collection of beekeeping literature. My bee tattoo is a copy of one of the drawings I found in a book of his, and my mom and brother also got the same tattoo. I think it's our way of remembering the inspiring passion and desire to learn that led my dad to beekeeping."

-Andrew Ward, 21

If you're ever in need of a conversation starter, just ask about a person's ink and hopefully they'll get to talking.