forever marked in seattle

so we're back. g and i spent the past nine days in our soon-to-be-home of beautiful seattle. i can't wait to  share our time with you...lots of food, walks, exploring with mama and daddy, reuniting with emma while meeting her beau, relaxing, and falling in love with our city all over again. pure loveliness.

there's something about seattle that makes me feel so right. like i belong. my energy is at peace, my thoughts are enlivened. in seattle, i feel like i have the power to do exactly what i want, all judgment and expectations aside. so what better time and place to make a commitment to myself...in ink.

g and i discussed extensively about what it means to have a tattoo. it could be a cosmetic thing - something "cute" or "trendy." or it could be a symbolic thing - something to live by, something to share. we asked each other what our mantras were and if we believed in them strongly enough to have them marked on us. we both agreed it was time to do it.

when i run, i live my mantra. and that is mindfulness - the idea of living in the present moment, of being in the here and now. day to day, i struggle with this. but when i am running, when i am focused on the path, on my breathing, my strides, my pace, i feel that i am most present. and most at peace. 

"the secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly." - buddha

g always believed his mantra was "everything equals nothing and nothing equals everything." essentially, that what we don't have is the greatest gift and that what we desire and what we "have" really makes no difference in the end. 

so we researched tattoo parlors throughout the city and to our surprise, one of the highest ranked ones was down the street from where we were staying. two birds tattoo, a charming studio owned by two women with bossa nova playing in the background. we met halley, our tattoo artist, and each described our vision. there was an instant connection. her energy resounded with us as she asked us why we were doing this, what it meant to us, and what we believed was innately important. basically, she spent time with us. i couldn't have felt more right about allowing halley to express my belief.

before

before

halley walked us to the back, set up her table, and then we were off. no turning back now.

after

after

getting "inked" with g was such a special moment. we committed ourselves to a permanent marking, individual symbols that will forever remind us of our ethos. and getting it done in seattle - it was a commitment to the place we love, a place with which we connect. we let go of our inhibitions and just went with it. and i am thrilled.

every tattoo experience needs a nap in the park...