How do you commemorate milestones or a profound transformation on your life journey? Do you write a letter to yourself reminding yourself of how far you’ve come? Do you buy a piece of jewelry or symbol to carry with you to remind you of someone you love who is no longer here?

I like to buy local jewelry or artwork when I’m traveling in places that leave an impression on me. It’s a small token I can carry with me to be reminded of the place and that time in my life. I use my photoshoots to document various seasons in life. Each photoshoot has its own vibe and essence that matches where I was at that point in my life.

Touchstones remind us of pivotal and meaningful times in life.

In 2016, after my Grandma died, I knew I wanted to have something with me that would remind me of her essence and allow me to carry her spirit with me wherever I went. I had thought about getting a tattoo in the past, and always knew it would have to be something meaningful for me to permanently wear it on my body. A year after she passed, I decided that a tattoo was the perfect way to symbolize my Grandma’s memory and carry her essence with me wherever I go. I found an amazing tattoo artist in North Dallas, Rodney Carrera. I chose to get an iris (her favorite flower) with the word ‘Wonder’ attached to it. My Grandma lived every day of her life with a childlike sense of wonder. And that’s exactly what I wanted to carry with me.

They say once you get your first tattoo it won’t be your last.

Six months after I got my first tattoo, I was ready to get my second one. It was at the end of 2017, and I had finally made the bold decision to quit my corporate job and follow my dream of traveling the world. This was a bold step for me, and one I was ready for. I had just completed my year of Action and was stepping into my year of Bold Freedom. I got a feather with birds flying off the tip of it tattooed on my rib cage to commemorate this new journey I was stepping into.

And as you can guess, six months after that I got my 3rd tattoo. I had recently started my nomadic journey with a oneway ticket to Australia followed by a oneway ticket to Thailand. I had heard of many people getting hand poke tattoos in Thailand so naturally had that on my radar. And no coincidence, the first person I met when I landed in Chiang Mai was a beautiful young woman named Eluaiyana, who happened to be a tattoo artist. Eluaiyana specializes in intricate hand poke tattoos. About a week after arriving in Thailand, I fell extremely ill. I had some sort of bacterial infection that kept me in bed for nearly 10 days. I had no choice but to surrender. It was the Universe’s way of telling me to heal from my past and trust what was to come. After I recovered, I contacted Eluaiyana to schedule my next tattoo appointment. I got a beautiful hand poke tattoo on my wrist that represents surrendering & being open to what comes into my life.

My symbols became a part of me and served as reminders for how far I had come.

At the end of 2018, I went on a challenging multi-day hike in Patagonia. This was the most challenging physically demanding journey I had ever been on. And even more than that it was mentally and spiritually trying. I learned to find courage in myself to take the hard steps forward and to trust that I was being led on the right path. I’ll never forget hiking in Patagonia and being awestruck by the most stunning view of a song boulder surrounded by bright, delicate flowers overlooking the most vibrant blue water I’d ever seen. I snapped the picture on my phone and imprinted it in my mind. I had no idea that boulder would hold such significance in my journey onward.

My trip in Patagonia reminded me that I am stronger and more capable than I give myself credit for.

When 2019 started, I was feeling extremely lost. I had returned from 8 months of soulo traveling all over the world. My savings was dwindling down, and I knew I’d be faced with either getting a job or starting something of my own. Starting a business is by far the most eye-opening, strip-me-down-to-the-core journey I’ve taken in my 35 years on this planet. It’s caused me to confront some of my greatest fears—being seen, asking, and trusting that the money will come. I’ve retreated into my cocoon more times than I can count and continued to put myself out there in belief that one day things will shift.

In May 2019, I took a big financial leap and made a commitment to be in a yearlong Retreat Leader Coaching Program with Darla LeDoux called the Beautifully Aligned Collective. I was not planning on signing up for this program. I certainly didn’t have the financial means to support an investment, and ever deeper than that—I didn’t believe that I was worth investing in myself. I was again was called to surrender my knowing and trust on a deeper level. I received a sign so clear that I could not ignore, and signed up for the program. This was a big deal for me, not only financially but also on a deeper soul level. I committed to a long-term time investment that I had always shied away from in the past. You’d think that someone who gets tattooed wouldn’t be afraid of commitment, but I was. I was afraid of being stuck or trapped. I surrendered to the Universe and trusted that God knows more than I do.

This past year has knocked me down and picked me up, caused me to rise up, open my heart to love, surrender, trust, take courage, and have faith that it is all working for my highest good.

When my coaching program was coming to an end, we were invited to choose a symbol to honor all of the expansion and growth that took place over the year. Some people chose crystals, pieces of art, and jewelry to commemorate this time. I immediately knew it was time for my next tattoo. Since shelter in place was still in order, I had to wait to get my symbol. In the interim, I went on a personal retreat in Colorado. While on that journey, I was greeted with the labyrinth I had laid rocks in the summer before. It was in that labyrinth in 2019 that I became present to signs from the Universe. I was going through a rather difficult time and knew I needed a challenge. From that a great mountain climb came to fruition and birthed my 30-day blog challenge.

So today, I captured my symbol on my inner right bicep. A symbol of mountains that reminds me of all the physical and spiritual mountains I’ve climbed, a boulder from my hike in Patagonia that reminds me there is beauty to be found no matter what the situation, an arrow from my Wandering Aunt logo that reminds me to keep aiming towards my goals, and a sunflower to remind me that I am a bright light in this world and to always keep shining.

I find myself a bit emotional each time I get a new tattoo. While they all mark memories and milestones in my life, they are packed with so much meaning and symbolism. To you, it may just be a cool looking tattoo. To me, it represents my life—every bruise, obstacle, curiosity, joy, courageous act, surrender, and trust I’ve experienced. It is forever a part of me etched deep withing my being reminding me of all that I am.

Thank you Rodney, for once again beautifully bringing my vision to life. If you find yourself in Dallas, and looking for an incredible tattoo artist, check out Anomaly Lifestyle Art.