Tattoos are one of the best reminders of your travels

My little sun tattoo

Depending on the kind of person you are, the idea of having something permanently inked into your skin forever is either exciting or just the worst thing that you could ever imagine putting yourself through. If you are a person who gets squeamish at the thought of getting a tattoo, I'm not going to sugar coat it and say it doesn't hurt, because it does, but if you can get through about 5 minutes of pain (or longer depending on the size) for a life-long reminder of your travels, it is worth it. 

Long before I started my Contiki of the UK & Ireland, I decided that I was going to get a tattoo to commemorate the trip. Cut to the tour, and I was so happy to find that majority of my friends shared the same sentiment and were wanting a tattoo as well. Towards the end of the trip, we were in Galway, Ireland, where we decided to get it done. The hard thing about getting a tattoo for me isn't the pain, but it's deciding what to get. So I thought about it for a solid ten days and finally decided I was going to get a tattoo of the sun. 

You may be wondering why you would want to get a tattoo of the sun? Well, I wanted a tattoo that would encapsulate the whole trip, not just a symbol that would be recognisable of one country, such as a thistle for Scotland or a clover for Ireland. I settled on the sun because if you have ever done a Contiki, you know about the 'day song' which is belted out every morning as soon as you get on the bus. Our day song was aptly called The Sun by Parov Stelar. The song is about travelling, being with friends and just enjoying life which was the exact experience I was having. Ten of us walked into Galway Tattoos and went on to get various types of tattoos. Some got thistles and clovers, whereas others got suns and aeroplanes. We were all super stoked with what we got, and it was a highlight of the trip.

Every time I look down at my ankle and see that little sun, I'm reminded of the time I spent in the UK & Ireland, and every time I look at it, I think of a different memory. I love the fact that it will be apart of me and my story until the day I die and that I'll be forever encouraged to think and speak about my trip whenever someone new sees it and asks the meaning behind it. I've said to myself that I can't possibly get a tattoo whenever I visit a new country, but once you get a tattoo, it's highly addictive. If I am already addicted to travel, then I'm going to have to find a tattoo solution otherwise I'll be tatted head to toe. 

-JK