About that tattoo

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A few years ago I began to entertain the idea of getting a small tattoo. The decision to have something permanently etched on my body isn’t something that was spur of the moment. I have two teenagers for goodness sake.

This past weekend I was feeling melancholy and missing my Alabama relatives, who I haven’t seen since July. I decided to trek across the southern US in my 2012 VW Beetle for a good visit and some of my grandmother’s comfort cooking. My mom tagged along for the ride.

RedBugg II 2012 VW Beetle in red image by Shannon Hurst Lane

We loaded the car with Louisiana Mardi Gras goodness in the form of King Cakes, Abita Mardi Gras Bock, and Community Coffee. I also threw in a bottle of Sainte-Hilaire bubbly. The ride was smooth and uneventful, with my playlist blaring as my mother and I sang songs from the today and yesterdays.

It was a good visit that began with White Russian Cocktails. We didn’t talk about Mr. Miyagi. We didn’t talk about anything sad at all. We just laughed and laughed as we always do when we get together. Our first full day began with King Cake for breakfast, a few cups of Community Coffee, and two pitchers of mimosas.

Mimosas image by Shannon Hurst Lane
Callie the Cat and a mimosa image by Shannon Hurst Lane

As we sat around taking photos of Callie the Cat drinking mimosas, I mentioned that I had been thinking about getting a tattoo of a fleur de lis, which has become a symbol of Louisiana’s strength, resilience, and rebirth. I thought this would be fitting and meaningful, because it’s how I feel about myself after that awakening in Vegas.

Strength – Moral power, firmness, or courage.

Resilience – The ability to recover quickly from illness, change, or misfortune; buoyancy.

Rebirth – The action of reappearing or starting to flourish or increase after a decline; revival.

When I explained the reasons to my aunt, mother, and grandmother, my aunt said, “Let’s do this together.”

After a spa pedicure and large glasses of liquid courage, my fabulous Uncle Mike drove myself, my Aunt Robbi, and my mother to an area Tattoo shop, Kreations. Adam, the tattoo artist spent some time talking with us about our body art, what to expect, and how to take care of it as it heals.

This is the original sketch we found. I didn’t want a solid, flat looking fleur de lis. I wanted something with a bit of definition.

Fleur de lis tattoo sketch

I went first, and yes, getting a tattoo on your foot is a bit painful, but I didn’t flinch.

Shannon Hurst Lane getting a tattoo at Kreations in Huntsville, AL

My aunt, on the other hand, hollered like a little girl. It was quite funny.

Robbi Montgomery screaming while getting a tattoo

The finished product was quite nice, and Adam even agreed to pose for a photo with us.

Robbi Montgomery, Adam from Kreations, and Shannon Hurst Lane

We laid around that night drinking a few more cocktails, watching movies, and keeping our feet propped up like we were injured or something. The next day we woke up with no regrets and even feeling a bit sexy knowing there was this little tattoo on our feet. This called for shoe shopping and my grandmother, who cannot resist a sale, took us to Belk’s where we ended up buying 14 pairs of shoes.

Shoe shopping at Belk's

Trying on shoes at Belk's

Shannon Hurst Lane's fleur de lis tattooI told my kids what I was planning and even sent them a photo of the end result. They both were appalled and I received a few texts of “Ewww” and “Gross”. That made me giggle. One of my daughter’s friends asked me if I was having a midlife crisis. That made me giggle even more.

Creative Digital Tourism: Can’t Forget Italy

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I adore artistic and creative tourism campaigns. The Can’t forget.it digital media campaign is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen in a long while, if ever. It makes me dream of going back to Italy.

Congratulations to Matty Brown for winning the grand prize in the Digital Diary promotion by the tourism board in Basilicata, Italy.

Dreaming It{aly} from Matthew Brown (Matty Brown) on Vimeo.

I’m impressed not just by the video itself, but also by the tourism players who came up with such a creative way to showcase some of the more untouched parts of Italy.

To learn more visit CantForget.it.

A Walk Around the Lake

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As I look back on my life and travel adventures, I realize there have been some very special moments. Those moments encompass feelings and sometimes a few friends. A culmination of moments in Ireland that may seem silly to most people can have such meaning for me. One night in Dublin our group dressed up [...]

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2009 Comunicano Double AA Cuvee

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Travel isn’t just about the adventure of the journey for me, it’s also about the people I meet along the way, and the moments that make the experience. Last week in Las Vegas, a few friends invited me to watch the travesty that was the BCS National Championship game. I proudly showed up to the [...]

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An Awakening in Vegas

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I’ve been in a funk for a few years now, ever since I was first diagnosed with a brain tumor. I walked out of the doctor’s office that day in shock, holding it together until I sat in my car in the parking lot. And I cried. Not just a little cry, but the kind [...]

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