Blog #97: Piercings

I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 18. After passing my long-awaited 12th birthday, when my mom promised she would go with me to get my ears pierced, nothing happened. I begged my mom, but she was either too busy, or didn't want to go. "It's not that big of a deal anyway, Kailyn. It's not like it's going to change your life."

Eventually, my 12th birthday turned into my 18th, and even though I could legally go get my own ears pierced, I didn't think about it for a month or two. Then, as I was taking Courtney out for an early birthday celebration before we both left for college, she insisted I go get my ears pierced, because I'd been dying to do it for years. So, with Courtney, my best friend since my third day of life, cheering me on, I got my first piercings. What should have been two turned into three, when my inexperienced piercer shot the piercing gun absolutely crooked through my earlobe and had to redo it. But, it healed quickly, and I had my first set of piercings!

My next piercing after that was a helix piercing, done in Peru as a last-minute 'matching piercing' idea with Rashmi. We literally walked into the piercing parlor like 10 hours before I was supposed to be on my flight back to the States, and although it did make the flight just a little uncomfortable, I'd go back and do it again any day.

Soon after that, I decided to do a second lobe piercing in none other than Ally's dorm room. With Ally providing the sanitation supplies and a comfortable seat, and her friend Riley providing the 'expertise' and the courage to shove needles through my ears, the three of us had an eventful lunch break from our day on the job as freshman orientation staff. That story concerns a lot of people, but I still think it's hilarious.

Today, I added another to the collection, getting my second helix piercing in a ~somewhat~ sketchy piercing parlor in Bangalore. All I will say is that the whole thing was just very Indian from start to finish, which in a way made it perfect. I wanted an 'Indian' piercing for my collection, and I got it.

Along for the ride came Rebecca and Sequoia too, who both decided they wanted to get a piercing as well. Sequoia got her first helix piercing, and even though everything went just fine (and she is seriously totally okay) her ear started GUSHING blood. Once that piercing was in, her ear was almost immediately filled with thick, red blood, spilling down onto her shirt and into her hand. It was a bit intense, but Sequoia shrugged it off with 'ehh, my ears usually bleed when I pierce them.' She took it like a champ, and I certainly didn't help as I freaked out a little bit over just how much blood was spewing out of her.

Then, the last of the three of us, Rebecca decided to get a septum piercing!! I'm a baby and I couldn't watch, but Beccy is truly a badass for doing it. And it looks great on her too! She also had some nice blood, but that's a little more expected with that piercing anyway. Also, major shoutout to Sequeeners, because she basically did half the work of piercing Rebecca's septum. When the piercer couldn't finish assembling the piercing because of his gloves, Sequoia stepped right in and got to work. It was a heck of an experience.

I always tell people that I won't get a piercing without a good story, and I think this one certainly meets that qualification. From my first piercing ever, with my best friend and a nervous wreck of a piercer, to today's second helix piercing in a random shop in Bangalore, all of my piercings have been done with people that mean a lot to me. And, I know it sounds kind of cheesy, but I love my piercings because they remind me of the people that I was with and the adventure I was on when I got it.

So, here's to today's piercing, done while sitting in an office chair and Rebecca as the official assistant to the piercer. (I'm realizing it sounds a bit sketchy when I say it that way, but it's the truth of what happened!) If you see me around, ask me about it, and I'll be ecstatic to tell you the story of this piercing, as well as the rest of them.

Just a few gals and their post-piercing auto ride.