Tattoo #7 – Spain: Bravery, Identity, and Becoming Myself
Let’s fast forward from the spring semester in April to the start of my final fall semester of my bachelor’s degree. September 2019. By now, the rhythm with Irelys and me was well established: class together, grinding through college, chasing growth, and every now and then, vanishing for adventure.
This time? We didn’t just leave the country, we left the continent.
From New York to Madrid: Let’s go
I had been planning this trip for a while. I wanted to go somewhere meaningful, somewhere personal, and once I locked in Spain, all I had to do was say the word to Irelys. Her response? “Let’s Go.” That’s how we move. No long conversations. Just vibes. Boom, tickets booked and we're out.
We had timed it perfectly. 11 days free from school if we aligned our absences just right. We flew from New York to Madrid, and the second we landed, the adventure began.
Exploring Madrid Like Locals
We rented a car for the whole trip. 1000% worth it.
Madrid swept us off our feet. From rooftop bars and street performances at Plaza Mayor, to shopping in the flagship Zara store where I basically discovered my favorite clothing brand, the city was alive with romantic energy. If you look at my closet now, it’s like Zara exploded in it. No regrets, babbbyy.
I even scoped out the oldest restaurant in the world, Restaurante Botín. I haven’t eaten there yet. I took a photo of the Guinness World Record plaque outside and pinned it for a future plan that’s totally over the top (just how I like it).
I introduced Irelys to paella, a personal favorite, and we were posted up drinking wine, eating paella, and listening to live music. It was bliss. I was so happy.
(Also, side note: I may or may not have warned her about the smaller food portions in Spain. She was constantly hungry, and I was constantly laughing.)
The Real Reason for the Trip
Tattoo #7 wasn’t random.
I mentioned in Tattoo #5 ( ←read the story here) that I was going through a bit of an identity shift. Nothing dramatic, just that feeling like I was turning a page in life. I had learned that we reinvent ourselves every 7 years, and I could feel myself stepping into a whole new version of myself.
At that point, I was in my late 20s and wanted to strip away every outside influence: religion, culture, expectations, and values from my family and childhood. I wanted to meet myself, the real me, without all the noise.
I even took an Ancestry DNA test, and learned I’m predominantly ethnically from the Iberian Peninsula — Spain and Portugal. So this wasn’t just a trip. It was an exploration of home. I needed to see how I felt in a land I may have been tied to by blood, but had never touched in person.
Spoiler: I felt at home.
(But the full meaning of that belongs to Tattoo #8 — and you’ll have to read that one here →)
Road Trip Ready
After several days of exploring Madrid, Irelys had no idea we were about to embark on a road trip across Spain. That’s just how I move. A little surprise, a lot of movement.
But before the road came the ink.
The Tattoo – A Symbol of Bravery
Tattoo Location: Madrid, Spain (Mao & Cathy Tattoos) (←IG LINK)
Represents: Bravery
When people think of Spain, they think of matadors.
I went to a bullfight. I didn’t know how brutal it would be beforehand. If I had, I might’ve reconsidered. Anyways, the courage of the matadors, stepping into the ring with total poise and presence, left an impression—another dangerous job, like being a cop or being in the military.
That’s what Tattoo #7 represents:
Bravery.
By this time in my life, I had already lived an insane journey as an adult: Marine Corps veteran, retiree, quiet social media presence, constant solo traveler. I had done most of it alone. No one person has seen all of my path. No one alive knows every version of me.
So when I got this tattoo, it wasn’t just about being brave on the battlefield. It was about being brave enough to evolve. To keep changing. To be myself. Whatever that becomes and through every version of life.
Now I’m 31.
If you ask me, I became a man at 28.
Who will I be at 35? I have no idea.
But I do know this:
Whether I change again, or even change my name again. I’ll always be brave enough to be myself. And now a man fills my shoes. Wisdom doesn’t come from age; it comes from experience. I was on track to live multiple people’s dreams all in my one lifetime. I am me.
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Want more stories like this?
Check out the full tattoo journey from the beginning — Tattoo #1 started it all in Mumbai.
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(Link: Tattoo #1)
