Tattoos can be a bit taboo among older generations and in the professional world, but the meaning they can hold far overrules that taboo in my eyes. Here is the meaning behind both of my tattoos and how I have placed them to ensure they don’t affect me as a business major.

I got my first tattoo about two weeks after my 18th birthday, and I was so scared. The plan was to put it on my ribcage, but my tattoo artist refused, saying it would be too difficult and painful for me to get a first tattoo on such a sensitive and bony area. Literally ten minutes before we started tattooing was when I decided to place it on my right shoulder blade instead. I decided on this area because shoulders and sleeveless tops are also a bit taboo in the business world, and are generally expected to be covered.

My first tattoo is very important to me for a lot of reasons. For one, my mom has the exact same one. We got them together and we designed them together. Our tattoos read, “I love you to the moon and back” and has a small moon and stars next to the words. This is something my mom has said to me for as long as I can remember, and to this day we’re constantly texting photos and emojis of the moon back and forth. Naturally, it was the first thing that came to mind when I decided to ask her to get a mother-daughter tattoo.

My second tattoo is placed on the right side of my ribcage, and I am absolutely obsessed with it. I’ve had it since July and I still stare at it in the mirror in awe for at least ten minutes daily. It is fairly large but I absolutely do not regret permanently filling that much skin. It’s amazing. I put it on my ribcage mostly because the only time it shows is in the summer when I wear a swimsuit. Most people don’t realize that I have this tattoo. It’s great placement if you’re worried about it affecting your career, because nobody will see it. Though I will warn you, getting this tattoo was the worst pain I have felt in my entire life. At first it was fine, but about three hours in my skin swelled, and I was whimpering like a sad puppy every single time the needle hit my skin. If you want a ribcage tattoo, you should be sure you have the pain tolerance for it.

The meaning behind this tattoo relates back to my Grandma. Every time I have ever been to her house, there have been swarms of hummingbirds at the multiple feeders on her front porch. There are so many that she has to refill her feeders every single day sometimes twice in one day. She lives in Camdenton, Missouri, so I only see her a few times a year, and this tattoo makes me feel closer to her. This permanent ink on my skin reminds me that no matter what, she will always be there in some fashion.

In my opinion, if you want tattoos, get them. Mine make me happy every time I see them. Whether or not you want to hide them or place them in plain sight is entirely your choice.

Read another tattoo column here.