I'm inspired to write by Piper of Love. She and I have so much in common it's just crazy. We have a lot not in common, too, but that makes it fun!
I have my story in my head and I've told a few people, but I don't think I've ever written it down.

Just after turning 21 I went to Costa Rica for a semester at a Bible School (a Capernwray school) in a suburb of San Jose. There were 24 students and 7 of us girls lived in a little 2 room house on the corner of the property. At least two of the girls in my house had tattoos (one didn't like it so that made me think) and one other girl at the school had gotten a tattoo the previous semester. I graduated from high school right when getting a tattoo was the "cool" thing to do and everyone was doing it just because. That wasn't a good enough reason for me, but these girls all had tattoos with meanings behind them.
Back it up a bit...
The first week I was at the school I was MISERABLE. I had dropped out of college in '98 because I wasn't ready to be away from home. I had gone to community college for 2 years and then worked in Yellowstone National Park the previous summer. It was hard adjusting to being away from home, but I did it. So I thought I'd be okay in Costa Rica. WRONG!

I cried the entire first week. One of the guys later told me he never imagined I would be so fun and outgoing from knowing me that first week. Finally the school "mom" told me I either had to quit crying or she was going to send me home. She asked me who I was trusting in. I had to face up to the fact that the reason I was out of control was because I felt out of control. And really, who's in control of my life, me or God? I finally started thinking (and doing a lot of praying) and calmed down enough to stay the rest of the semester. It turned out to be one of the highlights of my life (so far!).

So these girls with the tattoos they had a small influence on me, but I didn't want some random tattoo. And I wanted to be sure it was in a place where it wasn't going to stretch or be hard to cover up (whoops on that one!). I thought I wanted a dove to represent the peace that I'd found now that I wasn't trying to be in control of my life anymore. But I'm not an artist (at least not a drawing artist) so everything I could come up with just looked like a second grader drew it. Not that that's a bad thing, but that's not what I was after for permanent body art.

About 3 months in I was at a Bible study and one of the guys brought some new song books with this silhouette of a dove on the front. I knew I'd found my design.
I talked to the activities director at our school (who used to be a street person and knew these kinds of things) and he set me up with the best tattoo parlor in San Jose - note: the guy also works in the US and the place was clean, I would have walked out if it wasn't. Two of the girls who had tattoos went with me. I was super nervous and holy cow, I never knew it would hurt so much! I was glad I had picked a simple design because 15 minutes was a long time to get "scratched by a cat".
It's funny because until I read things or see things that reference tattoos I can almost forget I have one since it's on my lower back and I never see it. But when I do it's an awesome reminder that I'm not the one in control of my life and I will be so much more peaceful if I remember that!

(picture will follow hopefully soon!)

So, I don't dare write this on my outside blog since all the grandparents and great-grandparents read it... I'm just ashamed of what I did! I was at the bank and my little punkin' made a really stinky diaper. They didn't have any place for me to change him except on a couch downstairs. So I did and then thinking he would lay there with his toy I went to throw the wipes away across the room. Right as I turn around I see him rolling over and about to fall off. Of course I can't get across the 10 feet fast enough and he lands on the tile and bonks his head pretty hard. At least he went feet first so it wasn't quite as hard, but it was kind of a whiplash action. He started screaming and felt horrible. I can't really find a bump so I hope he's okay and I didn't give him a concussion or anything. :( And of course when I went back upstairs the whole bank had heard it. I feel like they were looking at me like I'm just an idiot. :(