I think it was the OP who wanted to hear people's stories about getting their ink . . . here goes!
My first tattoo was the result of a bet, BUT I'd been longing for a tattoo for a while (a few years) and the bet was simple: I was having some serious low self-esteem issues and I was training for a stunt certification, well, the non-existent self-esteem was a HUGE barrier to having any chance of getting that certification, but I'd lived with my self-esteem in the negative #'s for so long, I didn't even know there was an issue. My instructor (who was also a friend), bet me that if I passed the certification test, I'd get the tattoo that I was going to visit about once a week (yep, I wanted it that badly, but didn't have the confidence to say 'You know what, I really like this and I don't care what anybody else thinks!) . . . I laughed, but he was dead serious. I said 'Ok, if I don't pass the test, you get to pay me $100'. He agreed.
Well. I got my certification, and my instructor insisted that I hold up my end of the bet. If it wasn't for him pushing me to take that leap, I would never have had such a good thing come into my life! I wanted it anyway, he just gave me an iron-clad reason to get it.
It's a red rose with black leaves. Very small, only about 2" but very pretty. The rose will soon be the center of the MAJOR piece of artwork that I want to get (basically, it'll take over my entire upper arm), I love it that much. I got it in 1998, and it still looks great. It didn't hurt all that much, really, and it only took about 45 minutes, it's on the center of my left bicep.
My second tattoo was on the occasion of my 25th birthday -- an age I never thought I would reach. I got it on the center of my right bicep and went with red roses again, though these are single petal types instead of the double petal one. They are on an ivy sprig, entwined about a broadsword. It's about 4" long and I was still in stunt work classes at the time and went to the class without covering up my new ink . . . my fault! I didn't know it then, but trauma to the new tattoo can 'knock' the color out, and now I have little sections of my ink where the color got knocked out because of the fighting I was doing . . . you can't see them unless you're REALLY close to it, but I know. Again, it didn't hurt much and only took an hour to do.
The third tattoo is a blackwork rose (are we sensing a theme?) with a dagger stuck through it. The dagger looks exactly like one of the daggers in my collection, I HAD to have that ink! It took about two hours and is on my right outside ankle, and it HURT SO BADLY the entire time. A friend was with me to get it done and he said I was making the childbirth face the entire time. Holy crap, I have broken my collarbone and passed kidney stones and had surgery to repair a totally snapped achilles tendon, and this tattoo was just as bad as any of the above. It KILLED me. The only reason I finished it was because I couldn't bear the embarrassment of going around with a half-finished tat on my ankle. It's about 4" square.
My fourth tattoo is in the small of my back and basically Celtic knotwork with Celtic roses in a protective design, I have degenerative disks and a whole bunch of other back issues, so . . . It took 2.5 hours and is the biggest tattoo I have, 5" square. And yes, that one hurt like an SOB the entire time. Eventually I had to ground and center myself and meditate myself into a trance to get some biofeedback going so that I could get through it. My body was spasming, and there was nothing I could do about it except force myself to get calm. That finally worked, but by then there was only about a half hour left, lol!
Getting a tattoo can be a transformative, life-changing event. It's not something to take lightly, even though many people do. There are many spiritual practitioners who know that piercing your skin (that's how they tattoo) can result in dramatic spiritual awakenings, or bring up long-suppressed emotions, or give you a massive endorphin high, or all of the above.
My advice? Be REALLY sure that you want what you're getting. Make sure it's positive and will bring good energy to you, wait forever if that's what it takes to get sure, and take a friend with you when you go. You will need to eat well both before and afterwards, and don't be surprised if you experience odd physical or emotional stuff.
Don't use any painkillers before you go, or drink alcohol. Reputable tattoo artists will not tattoo anybody who's been drinking (even if you're not drunk) or if you're on any substance -- even legal ones -- that could potentially interfere with the tat, or potentially cause harm to you. I know some meds can thin the blood . . . you will bleed . . . thinning your blood is not a good idea! And, of course, you need to be in full mental control of yourself, too.
Some tattoo artists do walk-ins, others insist on an appointment (so you may have to wait a while). Some charge for creating the drawing, some don't. Some have a minimum fee, some don't. All shops and artists should be licensed and have their paperwork out for you to see (usually it's hanging on a wall). If you don't see a license, or they can't produce one, RUN AWAY. Some artists will let you watch while they tattoo somebody else, some won't. Do your research -- a good artist won't get irritated by questions. If the shop isn't clean (and I mean, SPARKLING, preferably with the smell of a just-used autoclave or cleaning material in the air) RUN, don't walk away. Don't even look back.
Oh, and if you have allergies, be prepared that your skin might react badly to some colors. All tattoo ink is not the same. Again, do your homework. I'm lucky that my skin *loves* tattoo ink, even though I have allergies and can't wear clothes that have been washed in anything other than hypoallergenic detergent. Many people also have issues with red ink, just because.
And don't forget to tip your artist! Inking in a tattoo is a physically demanding job, not to mention the creative process. If your artist has done a good job for you, let him or her know that. Money talks.
Hope that helps!
Whitewater (hoping to save the $700 or so my next tat will cost within the next 2-3 years)