After the first one I thought, okay, that wasn't bad, I wouldn't be opposed to another one. Plus I had one more open space for a tattoo, my left thigh. I figured that if I ever did get another one it would have something to do with my Colombian roots. But time went on and I didn't give it much thought.
Two weeks before my trip to Colombia in March I started giving the tattoo more thought. And I figured if I am going to get a tattoo of either the colors of the Colombian flag or words representing my Colombian pride I just HAVE to get it done in Colombia, how appropriate would that be?!?!?
Thinking about this tattoo was a lot harder then my first one. I changed my mind multiple times, I talked it over with my family in Colombia. As we drove through Medellin we thought of various phrases "Hecha en Colombia, Sangre Colombiana, 100% Colombiana, Alma Colombiana" etc. And the list went on...But of course some of these caused quite a stir because I wasn't actually made in Colombia, technically I am not 100% Colombian. I was born and raised in Massachusetts. But that's a whole other story, in my heart and in my soul I feel Colombian, I don't care what anybody else says. Again, the tattoo is for ME, not for anyone else.
But my cousins' wife suggested that I just go with an image and forgo the idea of words. A picture is worth a 1000 words, right? I knew I wanted the colors of the flag but not the flag itself. I googled a number of images and came across a ribbon with the colors and our crest and some words on it but instantly I thought, the ribbon is perfect. It just worked. I didn't want it to be too big or too complex. Simple, I wanted it simple, with just the colors of the Colombian flag: amarillo, azul, y rojo.
So I did it. I was freaking out at the tattoo salon, Tijuana Tattoo, odd name I thought. I was freaking out acting like I had not already gone through this process before. But I hadn't. This was a more complex tattoo, it was still small but it required filling in with colors. That hurt. Not the whole time but there were some parts of my thigh that, once hit, I felt it! It look longer then my first one. But once it was done I was in love. I still look at it every day and I am so happy with it.
I thought to myself who does that?!?! A second tattoo, colors of a flag of a country that I have never even lived in....but I do. I do that. I have an intense feeling of attachment to Colombia that I cannot even describe. That is who I am, if I were not Colombian I would not be the same person.
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