I wasn't sure how many tattoos I would meet on my five and a half day trip to Hawai'i, but my last day there exceeded all expectations.
As reported before, I met five separate people with tattoos at
Pearlridge as I did some last-minute shopping before heading back to the airport.
After returning my rental car and clearing security, I headed to the gate, my heart heavy with the reality that I was once again leaving my childhood home, not knowing when I would return.
I guessed that my inkspotting had ended on the trip, as I dropped my carry-on at a row of seats outside of the gate, which was sealed as the earlier flight's passengers cleared customs.
I guessed wrong.
The delay in entering Gate 25 left passengers lingering in the open-aired terminal with a moment to relish the warm tropical air.
The gentleman next to me removed his outer garment to reveal a short sleeve shirt. And this tattoo:
So, for the next twenty minutes or so, I chatted with Bill, originally from Brooklyn, now living in Hawai'i. How's that for a mirror image?
What's more, Bill had this tattoo, as well, on his upper right arm:
Aloha indeed. What a fitting way to leave Hawai'i!
The top pin-up was inked at a shop in
Point Pleasant, New Jersey.
The forearm design is a modified version of a flash design Bill had seen at a shop in Honolulu, up near the
University of Hawai'i campus in Manoa.
The original design featured the young lady standing in the
Waikiki surf, with
Diamond Head behind her. Bill opted just for the pin-up, without all the extra stuff.
We had a nice chat about Hawai'i, tattoos, and Brooklyn. He was heading back to the East Coast to visit family.
Thanks to Bill for sharing his cool tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!
And thanks again to everyone I met on my trip, and for being integral parts of the Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i saga!
A simple tattoo and a favorite among women. Butterflies are beautiful creatures of nature that are blooming with an array of colors. 
Women have come to recognize this design as being exotic and alluring. 
