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International tattoos.

One of the most interesting parts about having a tattoo and going on vacation, is when random people approach me wanting to know the story behind them. I would consider that the ultimate ice breaker, because it turns out you just start talking about life. When I was in the Cayman Islands, a man from Mexico approached me while we were on a sailboat sailing out to swim with sting rays. He notices the tattoo on my left side just above my ribs and asked me what the meaning behind it was. My tattoo is ultimately one of the more personal parts of myself, but I had no problem explaining that is was for my grandfather who meant so much to me, and then I went on to tell him more. Patrick, that was his name, then lifted up his sleeve to expose his tattoos for which he had 7 names written in Spanish all down his arm. He went on to tell me this amazing story of his family overcoming a tragedy, and then how it shaped him into the man he was today, with each name representing a person in his family. I learned SO much about this person just by listening to his story about his tattoos which started with him asking about mine. Tattoos could be like your biography or a symbol that represents a significant part of you. Sometimes, you don't even have to ask someone what it means to actually know what it means. There are people from ALL over the world who have experienced such happiness, failure, disappointment, or milestone, for which they permanently mark their body as a symbol of that expression. HOW AWESOME IS THAT CONCEPT! They can heal a wound or give you closure to a significant instance and I think the idea of it is amazing. I love traveling and listening to people's stories because it makes me realize all the life that is actually out there, and just by asking about what someone's tattoo means could then start a conversation that could change your life. I know with mine, I feel so much closer to my grandfather, almost as if he is always with me, and in that case there is nothing else I could ask for.

#tattoos