OK, this is just a suggestion, but why don't you think long and hard about this. Your birthday is in five days. That is a really short time to consider what to have permanently inked into your skin. I also have a tattoo, and it is very special to me. I research symbols and symbolisms for quite a long time before I finalized my choice. Then, on my 18th birthday, I had a lotus flower tattood onto my lower back. The lotus is a symbol enlightenment, or reaching a goal, or coming into your own (so to speak), and it meant a lot to me to have that done. I decided on that long before I actually got it done. So think carefully about something that will have meaning to
you, not just something that looks cool on the wall. Like you said, this is going to be on your body for the rest of your life.
Also, beware of those "Chinese" type tattoos - sometimes they don't mean what you think they mean. And try to get something that is classy. I know that sounds odd about tattoos, but think of something that will be cool in ten years, or twenty. It is the trendy things that are going to really piss you off in your later years.
I also recommend getting done on someplace that you can easily hide. And if you want ever maybe possibly want to have children, avoid the belly area.
I cannont emphasize ow important it is to really love what you are getting. I can't tell you how many people I know that got Micky Mouse, or a butterfly, or "Chinese," or a rock-n-rol band's symbol tattoos and they now totally regret it. Make it meaningful!!!
And good luck. The pain really isn't that bad. Nowhere near as bad as a tongue ring.
Allie
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