Vienna

I convinced my dad to let me get a tattoo. And if you know my dad, you know that this was a hell of an accomplishment on my part. Not to brag or anything. But I did that. 

So yes. I got tatted. With my parent’s approval. So here it is:

You’ve probably heard the song “Vienna” by Billy Joel. And if you haven’t, go take a listen right now. 

“Slow Down.” That is probably the best advice I’ve ever been given. It’s so hard because our existence is time bound and we often feel like we’re always running against a clock. There’s so much we want to do, but time cuts us short. Sometimes, this seems like a bad thing, but I think that over the years, I’ve learned that this is what makes life meaningful.

We weren’t made to be machines. We weren’t made to measure how fruitful our lives are by how much we accomplish each day. We were made to feel, make experiences, and grow as people. 

As someone who grew up being a perfectionist, this song reminds me to take a step back. It’s a reminder that things are exactly how they are meant to be—and that we don’t have to do everything all at once.

Sometimes it’s hard to take a step back and remember that there is a big beautiful life waiting for us in the nitty-gritty of each day. The song, and word “Vienna,” embraces this idea perfectly, so I wanted to commemorate it by finally getting it tattooed. Along with the word, I replaced the “V” with the national eating disorder awareness symbol as a reminder of how far I’ve come over the past year and a half. 

I know this is no food restaurant review, but I got it done at Soul Imagez Tattoo in San Jose, CA. This place was so warm and welcoming, and made me feel at ease. I recommend it for anyone wanting to get a fine line tattoo in the Bay Area :) And no—don’t let the pain scare you. It’s actually less painful that I imagined (that, or my pain tolerance is high). Anyways. Don’t be sad, go get a tattoo!!!

August 17, 2022 - Soul Imagez Tattoo - San Jose, CA