Tattoos!!!
I got my first tattoo when I was 18 years old. And when people say it can be an addiction, that is most certainly the truth for me!!
In the beginning, I was sort of getting random things and not putting a whole lot of thought into them. But over time, it began to be a sort of story telling of my life. Where I was, who I was becoming, where I wanted to go. For a Long time now, my tattoos all have a very specific meaning to me.
Many of my tattoos are reminders. Many of my tattoos are really for my own personal enjoyment. Honestly, even though I am fairly covered in tattoos, I forget I have so many. It is almost as if they have become part of my skin. They are a part of who I am.
Several months ago, I am quite confident I visited a different/parallel realm in which I had no tattoos. I woke up one morning in a Complete Panic scratching at my skin thinking - Who Is This Person With All of These Tattoos????!! Where Did These Come From???!!! I was frantically trying to take the tattoos off of my body. This lasted for what felt like several minutes, although I am sure in 'reality' it only lasted for a few seconds before I was able to soothe myself and remember that it was me. This was my body. And I love my tattoos. I love how they feel. I love the message they bring.
I live in the Seattle area and most days are chilly here. I am, nine times out of ten, wearing long sleeve shirts and pants. Many people who have known me for a long time but not spent much time with me, are usually quite surprised if they ever see my in shorts and/or a tank top.
A few months ago I went on a cruise to the Southern Caribbean. I was in shorts, tank top and/or a bathing suit for most of the 10 days. It was then, I realized, I wanted to share to the world, what they all mean to me and why I have them.
Over the course of the next while, I will be posting pictures of my tattoos with a little story around them. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!!
Love you all so much!!!
-Karen Berner