Stephanie's Story~

Meet Stephanie:

My husband and I were having dinner at a friend's house. When I explained my Women's Tattoo Project, our husbands began to share some of their thoughts about tattoos. Let's just say they are not big fans. Someone asked my friend's high-school-aged son and what he thought of girls with tattoos  and it just so happened that he had a girl friend there who--surprise!--had tattoos. She was willing to share her story. Stephanie plans to be a pharmacist.

Stephanie's tattoo Stories:

I got the tattoo on my back in honor of my grandfather who means the absolute world to me. He turned 80 this year (2014) and is still as agile as he was when he was 60. He’s that elderly man at the party who is always laughing and smiling and cracking jokes. The tattoo on my back says, "You are my smile" in Italian. He was born in Italy and moved to the U.S. when he was 20. He chose those specific words because that’s exactly what he is to me, my smile. If I ever have a bad day, I call up my two lovely grandparents and pay them a visit at their home in Rhode Island. 

My second tattoo is just below my left breast. I chose this placement because I’d like to be able to hide this tattoo, just like my first, so it won’t affect my future career as a pharmacist. I got the word "Wanderlust" because I always seem to be looking for something, whether it's happiness, love, or adventure. In my journey to find those things, once I receive those things they seem to slip away right through my fingers. I feel like I’m always wandering no matter where I am. It doesn’t really bother me much though, and that’s exactly why I got the word "lust" at the end.

I got my first tattoo when I was 17-and-a-half, and the second a few months after I turned 18. I don’t regret either of them because I feel as though I’m writing my own story, if that makes sense. I don’t mind when others ask about my tattoos because I would do the same--although I’ve never been one to love the limelight! My friends all loved my tattoos as any other 18-year-olds would. 

My papa cried when he saw the one that I got for him and murmured the words, "They don’t make people like you anymore. You are my everything. Thank you." As for my second tat, well, my family doesn’t know about that one yet!