aprentice

so, i am an aspiring tattoo artist, im good at drawing and looking to make my talent permanent. i live in northwestern ct at the moment, moving to arkansas (not permanently) but i reallllllyrealreally want to aprentice. i understand it takes alot of work and time to become an artist. i want to get to work! im eager,full of questions and more then ready. i dont jusst want to learn from anybody, im a 20 year old girl and strictly looking to learn all i can about tattooing. somehow i cant trust the weird creepy looks i get when i justt walk into a shop much less asking about aprenticeship. please someone point me the direction of a respectable shop, maybe one that employs females. i have nothing against working with men, i just want to feel comfortable as a student.