Losing my Tattoo Virginity

A few days ago I actually got my first tattoo, I've always wanted one and I decided to take the plunge and get one and I couldn't be happier.

To start with, I think its best if I explain what why tattoo actually is and my reasoning behind it. As you can see from the picture it’s an outline of a country, that country is Syria. Most of you don’t know this but I actually grew up there, I lived there for 8 years and they were some of the best of my life.

I consider myself as Syrian even though I don’t have the passport to prove it, I wanted to get something physical to connect me to the country, thus giving me the idea to get the outline tattooed somewhere on my body.

The place I went for was on my leg just above my ankle, the reasoning behind this is simple, I wanted the option to hide it if necessary. I couldn't help but wonder if I got this somewhere visible it might prevent future employers from hiring me.

Of course there are many other places I could get it, like on my back or ribcage however I have planned other tattoos to go in those places in the future after my scoliosis surgery.

I would really like to share some of the things I learned through this experience.

1.       Always wear something practical, as I said before I got the tattoo above my ankle, for my appointment I wore tights and ankle boots.
The tights were a pain to change out of and my ankle boots rubbed against the tattoo so much I had to buy new shoes to wear for the rest of the day.

2.       Always be sure the tattoo in mind is what you want. The easiest way to do this is to keep a picture of your potential tattoo visible somewhere in your room, spend a few months with it in sight and if you still like it, go for it.

3.       Keep in mind a tattoo can take anywhere between 2 -4 weeks to completely heal, be prepared to take care of it.

4.       If you are worried about getting old and the tattoo not looking so good in the future, get it somewhere that doesn't age too badly.

5.        If your job prevents you from getting a tattoo just get it somewhere you can easily cover up with your uniform.

6.       Go on recommendation, there are a lot of sketchy tattoo places so do your research.

7.       If your tattoo artists insists on doing your chosen tattoo free handed just leave because chances are they will mess it up.

Social Media's Prisoner

So recently after long debate I decided to get rid of my Facebook account, I had so many reasons for doing this which I would really like to share.

I've had Facebook for a long time, and to begin with it was cool, I didn't have a smart phone back then or a laptop so checking my Facebook was a once a day desktop task. I went to an international school where people constantly moved away, having a platform for us all to connect was great.

A year into my Facebook account I got a laptop as well as a crush, this meant I could hide in my room on my laptop hoping he'd talk to me, which was harmless at the time as when I needed to I could simply turn off my laptop and go spend time with my friends with no distractions.

Hitting 14 and getting my first smartphone was great, having actual internet wherever I went opened so many doors, or so I thought.

As my self-esteem dropped I needed "likes" to feel worthy of a life, after posting a new picture I would constantly check my phone to see who liked it and if this picture got more likes than the last one. I became invested in other people's opinions of me I started to devalue my own.

Instead Facebook became something I needed to feel worthy and liked.

My social life also struggled, I would always see people posting about how good their lives were, where they went and with who. It made me feel lonely, like I didn't have any friends.

Even when meeting up with my friends we all spent too much time checking our phones we forgot how to hold a conversation which made all my social outings pointless and made me feel ever more lonely.

Thinking about it now since deleting my Facebook only one out of my 300+ friends noticed, that kinda says something about the quality or virtual friends.

Finally Facebook is used for all the wrong reasons, its full of people posting negative stuff about either other people, religions, countries or disabilities. That has sadly been the main focus for this site for a good few years now. 

I wish I could say I miss Facebook but I don't, I've found myself less invested in other people's fake representations of their lives and began focusing on mine.

Moroccan Bath - Review

While speaking to my cousin in Dubai one evening she asked if I had ever had a Moroccan bath? I was intrigued mainly because I'd never heard of such a thing, she then went on to say that if I wanted to have one I could as she had a voucher, so I obviously jumped for the opportunity.

Today I will be telling you about the whole experience and the benefits I have personally experienced.

For those of you who do not know, a Moroccan bath is where you are scrubbed all over to get rid of all of the dead skin covering your body.

To start with I was lead into this room where I was meant to strip down completely and wear this disposable thong they had given me. This was new to me, I'd never really shown anyone my body like that before and never pictured myself showing it to a stranger, never the less I took the plunge.

Once I was undressed the lady took me to this steam room with this bed in the middle of it (and no, not an actual bed with a duvet).  To start with she covered me in this shower gel and then left me in the steam room by myself for a few minutes, I'm assuming this was to open up my pores before she began scrubbing.

She then entered with this black loofah kinda thing and began scrubbing me all over, within minutes all this dead skin came poring off, I was personally shocked at how much dead skin you actually have on your body. 

When my hole body was done she applied the same shower gel all over my body and then finished everything off by washing my hair.

After the treatment I could've passed out, I was so incredibly relaxed which was pretty surprising seeing as being washed by a stranger isn't exactly the most comforting thought.

I would highly recommend the treatment to anyone regardless of age or gender. So many benefits come from a treatment like this, for example...

1. You feel like a whole new person
2. Any flaky or dry skin you may have is gone!
3. You get rid of all the dead skin on your body
4. It is an experience
5. I actually tanned much quicker and easier once I got this treatment done
6. Your skin feels incredible! 

Like I said this is really something worth trying and like I said before I was lucky in the fact I did not have to pay for this incredible experience however if the opportunity were to ever come around again I would pay the money. 

Holiday Blues

It takes a lot of courage to step on a plan and prepare yourself to fly back to a country you are supposed to call home, there is something about that warm sun that makes you want to stay and never look back.

That's how I felt stepping on the plane preparing to fly back to England, a place where I knew I didn't belong. 

The "Holiday Blues" is something we all go through, a holiday is supposed to relax you and make you happier however when coming back you find yourself in a worse state compared to when you left.

I remember the tears rolling down my eyes as the seatbelt sign went off and I knew it was over, I didn't want to leave, in Dubai I had family, family that loved me and were all desperately waiting at the airport to come pick me up.

Here? I had the taxi driver Dave....

I was leaving people that loved me to come back to a place I hated and for the life of me I did not get why on earth I didn't run off the plane when I had the chance. 

In fact I almost did, there were a couple that ran off the plane, I wanted to follow, but knew I had a job to get back to, and I was not entitled to any more leave.

After arriving back home I spend 5 days straight in my room sulking and binge watching reality TV, I didn't want to put my coat on, go outside and face the cold I had escaped for 2 weeks. I knew that the second I felt that cool breeze on my skin it would officially be over.

At home I could turn the heating up, close my eyes and just pretend.

I wish I could say a week after coming back I feel better, because I don't. I have no idea what I'm looking for but I know its not this, but who knows? I may feel differently 2 months down the line.

Even though I'm still struggling with the harsh reality there have been a few things that have helped me with my so called holiday blues. 

1.  Get out of the house, seriously.
2. Spend time with people that make you smile.
3. Create a memory, that will help you form an attachment with your country.
4. Assure yourself there will be more opportunities to travel.
5. Start saving for your next holiday!, this will not only give you something to work for but also something to look forward to!

Thank you so much for reading, I know this isn't the happiest of posts but I just had to share this experience with you.

Lana xx