Describe the tattoo which you are most proud of (ex. color, shape, style, etc.):

The tattoo that I am the most proud of is my turtle. I have a large turtle in the center of my back with a map of the world in the shell of the turtle.

What does it signify?

I had the design for my turtle in mind and had talked to a few different tattoo artists who said they couldn't do it, or that they had no interest in drawing a turtle with a map on it. I eventually found an artist to who agreed to do it. My turtle means different things to me. First off, I just love turtles. They are beautiful and prehistoric. I just find turtles fascinating. My family lives all over the world, mostly in Europe and I miss them a lot. My turtle reminds me that even though we are apart, we are really all together. Mostly though, my turtle is a daily reminder not to carry the weight of the world on my back. That is why it's on my back. I tend to have a personality that worries about things I have no control over and it's something I'm trying to work on.

My turtle is my favorite tattoo, but all of my tattoos are original and meaningful. I have 9 tattoos at this time, which is likely to change at any given time. I have my children's names on my lower leg from my knee to mt angle along with images of the meaning of their names. Rachel means "little lamb,"Ryan means "king," and Julia Rose means "youthful rose." I have my children on my right side and it is my children that hold me up every day. Just like my legs. Everything I do is for them. My children are my foundation and they keep me going every day. It seemed appropriate that my children be on my leg. Although my turtle is my favorite tattoo, my children are the most meaningful.

Why did you choose to tattoo?

For all of the above reasons. I always wanted this tattoo. I have several tattoos, all of which are originals that I had designed for me. Each tattoo has a meaning special to me and I love when people ask about them. It's a great conversation starter; shy people who would never otherwise open up seem to have no trouble talking about tattoos as a common connection.

How do you feel as a woman with a tattoos?

I think my tattoos show to the rest of the worlds that I don't need society to decide what is beautiful. I want to be different from everybody else. I don't want to be another cookie cutter version of what society tells me I should be. I will be my own person, I will have my own opinions and ideas, and I will decide what I will look like. It's very empowering to show the rest of the world that you are strong enough to beat your own drum.