my new tattoo

So I got a tattoo last weekend. I have been wanting one forever and have been imagining this design for years. But, I can't draw for shit, so the idea has remained in my head and I have been scared to go to just any tattoo shop to get it done. On Saturday my homegirl Mercedes had a tattoo party and I knew that this was the right time to get it. In going to the Peace Corps, I know that the likelihood is that I will have to hide certain aspects of my identity, so this tattoo was an important to me as an act of self-affirmation. It is on my upper back, on a place that will remain hidden to the world but loud and clear to me. Anyways after getting it, I was a little bit nervous that it could present problems as far as medical clearance. I worried that I would be required to take new blood tests to be sure that I didn't contract any diseases or anything. So yesterday I called the OMS and told them that I quit smoking (will be a month on Friday) and that I got a tattoo. It was no big deal, they just noted it on my file and that was that. So I am still waiting...... waiting... for my medical clearance. June is only 3 months away.

Dentally Cleared

Ever since I sent my medical/dental package to HQ last week I have been anxiously waiting to hear that they recieved it. Being that I work overnight, I have noticed that all of the toolkit update emails always show up at exactly 5:00AM which is probrably the time that the system updates. This morning at 5, I was esctatic to see that not only did they recieve my package, I was already dentally cleared! Now I am just hoping that medical doesn't take too long...