For every city I live in, I like to get at least one new tattoo, something that sums up my thoughts of the previous year or a general philosophy that encompasses my experiences (both physical and mental).

Today, I got my newest one.

The year in San Francisco and my time here in Chicago really has been a lot about surviving hard times.  The economic turmoil that’s hit this country seriously threatened to derail my whole dream, and there have been numerous times in the past 18 months that I thought I might not be able to pay my rent, forget actually making it to my next city.  But I have survived, and I remain steadfast in my ambitions.

Here are the rest of my tats, in order of inking:

By the end, I hope to have my whole chest covered in words, all telling my story…