May 3rd, 2022 I dropped everything to fly across the country to complete the ultimate bucket list item and get a dream tattoo from Chris Nunez. Giving the Ink Master full creative freedom to the point that I had no idea what I was about to get inked forever on my body. Spoiler alert….he did not disappoint!
Mariah
Okay, you are probably wondering how I got here and how did this happen?! Let me backtrack a little. Growing up, my mom and I loved binging Miami Ink, LA Ink, and Ink Master. These shows fueled my love for tattoos and the skill and art behind them. For me, I didn’t only want sentimental tattoos, I wanted ART on my body. Fast forward to 12 years later and my husband was starting to dabble in tattoos. He is a go big or go home kinda guy and his 3rd tattoo was a massive realism Evil Queen from a local artist. He came home #inked and instantly wanting to binge all seasons of Miami Ink and Ink master (even though I had been trying to get him to watch it for years). Long story short, we watched all seasons of both Miami Ink and Ink Master and started following Chris Nunez and Oliver Peck on Instagram. I was laying in bed one Sunday morning and saw that Chris Nunez posted for the first time in YEARS that he had tattoo appointments available in Miami. My motto is “you don’t get if you don’t ask” so I thought “what the hell, I’m going to DM him”. I never expected him to respond or even have spots available but 10 minutes later, as I’m still scrolling, I get a notification that Chris Freaking Nunez responded to my DM. He had a spot available that Thursday. I ran out to the living room and played it cool for a few minutes before I told my husband what had happened. I was expecting him to be the reasonable one and remind me that I can’t just drop everything and fly to Miami for a tattoo on the same week. But instead, he started instantly Googling flights.
By the next day, my mom and I had flights booked, my husband coordinated with our babysitter to watch our daughter while he was at work and, Tuesday morning, I was boarded on a plane from California to Miami.
This entire experience was a one in a lifetime, and was truly one of those moments that make you feel alive. It reminds you how beautiful life can be and, that life is not meant for you to simply work to pay bills until you die. Money will return, but I will never be 27 again flying across the country with my mom to get a tattoo by Ink Master, Chris Nunez. This trip will always stay as one of my favorite memories.
The big day
I was so nervous leading up to the big day. I was not only getting to meet Chris Nunez who I have watched for 12+ years, but I get to be tattooed by him?! ME?! How is this even possible??
Walking into the shop, I still had no idea what I was getting inked on my body for the rest of my life. But I knew better than to limit a true artist, and trusted whatever he came up with. Chris nailed it. The entire tattoo experience from start to finish was nothing short of amazing.
Chris is so down to earth and after getting to spend 8 hours in his chair, I have an even bigger admiration for him and his work. He isn’t focused on fame or TV- all he cares about is his family, his art, and helping others. I got to hear about his latest project where we spent the last few years in the Amazon Jungle living with a local tribe, documenting and learning about their way of life.
Even at the shop he had his family surrounding him. His son took a ton of videos for his social media and his daughter came to watch her dad after school. He has passed down his love for art to her and it was so fun watching her draw up some pieces for her own “clients”. The star-struck feeling quickly faded as we chatted about all things life, travel, family, and even gave us a few kid-friendly hotel recommendations for our next trip as well as some restaurants we HAD to check out before leaving Miami (which we did, of course).
I left that day with an epic arm piece in traditional art and couldn’t be happier. I loved giving Chris Nunez the creative freedom and blank canvas to create something he was excited and passionate about. He said it was a nice mix-up from his usual Japanese Art and made him go back to his roots, to what he started with in tattooing.
This entire trip taught me there is so much more to life, that we are never too old for spontaneity, and life is meant to be lived to the fullest. When you have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, don’t even think twice about it –the money and time will return, but these memories will shape you for the rest of your life.
Bucket List item #137 Get A Tattoo by Chris Nunez ✔️
About Mariah:
Mariah is an entrepreneur and travel influencer. She has been blogging since 2018 when she decided to take her love for traveling public and share tips, tricks, and secrets to making the most out of your vacations. Mariah says her favorite vacation was Christmas in Florence, Italy but getting engaged at the Chicago Cubs World Series is a close second. You can find her travels with her husband and 3 year old daughter who has been traveling since she was 6 months old on her social media platforms @pickingdaisiesblog .
When Mariah isn’t traveling, she is working on her business Picking Daisies Media where she helps influencers, businesses, and brands grow and utilize their social media platforms to the fullest.
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