Tattoo Josh

Incase y'all didn't know, my birthday was this Monday. However, I have this thing with getting older and by "thing" I mean I'm never growing up. Ever. Needless to say, I wasn't looking forward to the day at all. However, I was looking forward to my present to myself.

When I was a Junior in High School I had fantasized getting a tattoo of Peter Pan's shadow on my arm. It was just an idea but I really liked it. Peter Pan has been a strong resonation in my life for my whole life. He's one of my biggest inspirations. I told myself in two years, if I still liked the idea, I'd let myself get it. This year, I was getting depressed about turning 20 and forgoing my teenage years and, essentially, my childhood. When I say depressed, I'm talking birthday coma. It wasn't fun.

Then I had the idea! What better way to conclude my teenage years than to finally get Peter's shadow on me to make my statement that I'm never growing up. So it was decided. The day before my birthday (while I'm still 19) I would be tattooed. I was excited about the tattoo, however, I wasn't excited about the actual process of getting a tattoo...

Think about it- needles constantly jabbing your arm injecting ink again and again and again and AGAIN! It's going to hurt! I'm going to scream! What if I pass out? Will there be blood? PANIC!!

Panic. So I decided to go in the day before to talk to the guy and gather an idea of what I was getting into. (Here comes the NYC Experience).

I knew the place I wanted to get it done because my room mate last year got his done in this place, called NYC Kulture. It was clean and his tattoo came out really nice. So I walked in and approached three big muscular guys with sleeved tattoos, piercings, and the swagger of kings. Measly I asked for help. The shortest of the three (but also the widest) turned with a huge grin and asked what he could do for me. Then I began ranting, as I'm sure you can all imagine.

He ended up being the exact opposite of my stereotypical first impression. He was sweet, funny, and comforting. He assured me that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and that basically anything I wanted he could do. Through conversation I learned I could trust him, so I told him I'd be coming back the following day. He told me his name, Josh, and gave me his direct number so if I were nervous I could call him.

So the next day, I come in. He and I discussed and reaffirmed exactly what I wanted. I paid far too much and then laid on what could have been my death bed. He knew I was nervous, so he started cracking jokes. He totally eased my tension and was constantly acting in support. I sing when I'm nervous, so I started. He told me to keep singing, and to sing as loud as I could. So I did, and the whole process was over in under 45 minutes.

Did it hurt? Yes. Was I terrified? Totally. Would I have actually gone through with without Josh? No. He was exactly the person I needed to get this tattoo, and I really believe if I had anyone else it wouldn't have happened and I'd go into my twenties without my statement and, symbolically, without my childhood. But I did it! I follow Josh on Instagram now, and he told me we could go out for drinks whenever we all wanted to. What a guy!

Now I bet you're wondering... how did it come out?! Well, check it out for yourselves!

Not only was he the sweetest of hearts, but he was true to his word. He gave me exactly what I wanted.