A lifelong commitment

So, I finally did it. It was time to commit.

And by that, I mean my first tattoo. The tattoo has been in the planning for a couple years now, with design and location picked for a long time.

I filmed it partly because I am a huge dork (and how fun is that to have a video of my first tattoo!) but also for a video storytelling class that I am taking. This is the first edit, so I will probably revise it through the quarter.

So, why a bird? (Again, bring on the dork) I did do a lot of research and the bird was absolutely perfect. Moving down to Miami for this school was the first thing that I ever did 100% for myself, so I knew I wanted a tattoo to commemorate this. The swallow has a history as a nautical tattoo. Sailors would get one on their left chest after logging their first 5000 nautical miles - a significant first step. When they returned home, or after logging 10000 nautical miles, they would get one on their right chest.

I'm not much of a chest-tattoo sorta girl, but the symbolism behind the bird definitely works. Moving down here was a significant step, and after the next year moving around for school, I just might deserve that matching one on the right.