The Trip That Left a Mark
It all started with our first international trip to Europe. It was a experience that we never expected would completely and permanently alter our lives forever. Just over 6 years later, I surprised my twin brother with a way to never forget such an impactful time: by getting a tattoo of our very first passport stamp.
Traveling was always something I longed for in my life. Even from a young age, the the simple thought of wandering around in an unfamiliar place always seemed so delightfully liberating. After I got a small taste of the power of travel through simple domestic trips, I was hooked. I was positively addicted and I needed bigger and better.
In 2010, my brother and I each graduated with Bachelor degrees in Nuclear Medicine Science. After such a long and arduous road in education, we were in great need of an authentic celebration. We purchased plane tickets into one part of Europe and out of another. We also each purchased a Eurail Pass, which enabled us to travel by train within ten different countries.
Aside from turning us both into travel connoisseurs, this trip was an undeniable life lesson. It changed everything for us and it is something we are both immensely proud of. I always had an idea of getting some sort of tattoo in remembrance of such a meaningful time in our lives. I decided that a suitable choice would be the passport stamp for the first stop, Rome. It was perfect. It had the date we embarked on this journey along with other travel related symbols. Symbols that portrayed us entering into a new region of the world, as well as a new appreciation for life. After our 31st Birthday, I plotted and planned to surprise my brother with this, which would be his first tattoo. I knew he wouldn’t be too happy about a spontaneous permanent mark, but, given the sentiment and meaning, I didn’t see how he could possibly refuse it.
I strive to make all moments in life like this. My motive is: if you are going to do something, make it unique and memorable. It was a simple plan to get a tattoo, but it was turned into an experience neither of us would forget (literally).
