I got inked spontaneously in Bali

On getting tattooed without preparation

Kring Lacson
Sep 2, 2018 · 3 min read

For years I had been wondering whether or not to get a tattoo. The idea of having one was attractive (you could express yourself!), but also frightening (it’s permanent!). I wanted one that expressed who I was perfectly.

All that careful planning flew out the window when I went to Bali. Having five hours left before our flight, my partner wanted to do anything but wait at the airport. “We should get a tattoo!” he said, “It’ll be a funny experience.”

Having just woken up from a nap, I groggily agreed to it without giving it much thought.


We were able to book ourselves a session at Balinesia Tattoo. An hour before our appointment we were frantically searching for designs over lunch.

My partner wanted a turtle. As for me — I was completely clueless. I was more determined to get one that I won’t regret rather than one with a beautiful design.

By the end of our lunch, I found two viable options: a line art of a heart or a pair of stairs leading to Saturn. With my curiosity and fascination for space, I chose the latter. It rang truer to my interests.


It was time to get our tattoo, but I was still thinking about whether or not I chose the best design. In the end I went through with it.

The final result

The tattooing was painful. It was only at the bottom of my wrist, but it felt like I was being stung repeatedly. It only lasted a good forty minutes — short, to my relief.

We never thought we’d go through with it, but here we are — with our spanking new tattoos. My partner and I could only laugh at how silly we were; this was one of the most spontaneous decisions each of us made.

It was an impulsive decision, one that literally had a lasting mark. Both of us couldn’t believe that we actually went through it. We got inked together. In some way, these tattoos were representative of us and of our being together as a couple.

Do I regret it? No. Though my tattoo is not the best, it holds the memories my partner and I have made in Bali: the adventures we had, the places we visited, and the new experiences we shared. Should we break up (I hope not!), my tattoo will always remind me of my youth, and of the laughs I had with a person whom I held dear.

I don’t regret this tattoo, because I now realise that there is no one tattoo that could perfectly represent you. I also realise that tattoos are there for another reason: to remind you of a time in your life, and of how you lived it.

Kring Lacson

Written by

Experience junkie, dog lover, pineapples-on-pizza advocate.

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