From spontaneous decisions in Medellín Ubers to flower-adorned designs in Mexico City, Laura Ericson shares the meaningful stories behind her four travel tattoos. Learn her practical tips for getting inked abroad safely and why marking your body with the places that have marked your soul creates lasting memories more powerful than any souvenir.

From a tattoo skeptic to a curator of international ink adventures, my journey into coordinating group tattoo appointments abroad wasn't exactly planned.

I honestly thought I'd never get a tattoo.

I first wanted a travel tattoo when I was in my early 20's to commemorate the months I’d lived in Spain--but I could just never bring myself to actually do it.