Get a Tattoo

I have been planning to get a tattoo for about 5 years now, and finally decided on a design. I went from fairies, to my zodiac sign, to several other strange drawings of my own making, and finally the realization of my true passion won out. I also went to about 3 tattoo artists and didn't care for any of them. They were impersonal, creepy, and I never felt at ease with any of them. I realize that it takes a certain type of personality to stick needles into people all day, and nurses aren't the coziest of people either sometimes, but i'm always trust my gut when it comes to people, and i'm usually never wrong. So finally, I went to a friend's tattoo artist who she highly recommended, and he was completely different than all the others. All of the tattoo artists in his shop were. They were friendly, and helpful. I had to make several trips down there to get my design drawn up, something other tattoo artists were also unwilling to do ahead of time. Never trust a tattoo artist who won't show you an idea of what your tat will look like before he/she puts it on your skin forever. Each time I went back to the shop, the artists recognized me and greeted me like a friend. So, the day had finally arrived. My boyfriend went down to watch and giggle. He kept telling me how bad it hurt and wanted to see if I was going to cry. I laid down on the table and made myself comfortable, and had my pirate symbol carved into my back. I'm not sure if he was disappointed by the lack of tears and crying out, but i'm glad he went with me. I was very satisfied with the final result. I'm also very glad I waited so long and searched around before I got it though. It's always sad to see pretty girls with half-assed "garage tattoos" like they didn't regard their body and themselves highly enough to care what went on it. To me, that isn't what tattoos are all about. It should be a form of artwork and an expression of yourself. Not a practice sketchbook for any idiot who says they are an artist. No regrets!

Swim under a waterfall

It was a gorgeous day in Yosemite. We had planned this trip for months, and had thought a group of friends would be joining us, but that ended up not being the case. So, my boyfriend and I enjoyed a little trip to the woods alone. One of the days we hiked up the rocks to the pool at the base of the lower Yosemite falls and got the courage up to jump in. I'm not sure I have ever swam through water that cold in my life. I never caught my breath and felt like I was hyperventilating in between ever rock I swam to. Then we swam up underneath the waterfall into a little crevice there behind it. The water was still misting into our faces pretty good and it was difficult to see. The breeze certainly wasn't helping. It was worth it to say i've done it, but it is definitely not for the faint of heart and lungs.