Let's talk about my Ancestry DNA test

(For the story in Dutch please click here)

When you browse YouTube for 'Ancestry DNA' you find hundreds of videos of which I viewed quite a lot by now. It is Hot Topic and several large ancestry sites take advantage of it.

Family background and family tree research have always had my interest. Beautiful stories go round in the family, as well as from my father's as my mother's side. I have family trees from both sides that date back to even before 1500. Graves from ancestors from the 17th century still exists and can be visited. De coat of arms at the stones appeal to ones imagination, as does the history of this generation.

To return to the here and now, sometimes someone joked: "I do not know where you got that characteristic from, probably an obscure ancestor".
By now we know that genes are passed on. You can have some of the features of a grandparent a few generations before. You too inherit habits with your genes. Of course you can not compare them with an ancestor from the 17th century (unless his or her character is thoroughly described) but when I look at myself, I use my hands in the same way my mother's mother did. When my grandfather was suffering from dementia in the last year of his long life, he often talked to me about me, as if I was his once so very beloved wife. Which was very touching.

And nowadays, we are able to trace our roots with an ancestry DNA test, even thousands of years back.
The world population is travelling since its existence and as long as there is trading. There are beautiful examples of this on the Internet. One of my favourites is de excavation of by mother nature mummified people with long red hair and kilted clothes, near the Silk Road from China to Europe. But yes, I have always had a strong fascination for Celts. And Vikings.
During all those travels, romances will have developed between different nations. But migrations also spread people all over the world.
If you think that travelling or backpacking is of this century, you are very wrong.

And what about all the wars and conquerors? Vikings, Romans, Germans, to name a few!
There is not something like a pure breed, even if there are fanatics who think or even dare to say there is. Even though DNA tests have now proven there isn't.

My famil trees are published on geni.com and myheritage.com, the latter offered a DNA kit for a very affordable price within my budget with a huge thank to a cousin!
As long as these tests exist, I longed to do one! I received the kit 2 days after the purchase, on August 28. I read the guidelines, collected a cheek swab on both sides and posted it the same evening to Texas, knowing I had to wait 6 weeks for the result to arrive.

One week later there was an e-mail that the Lab received the sample. Again one week later another e-mail with the confirmation they started analysing and a link to a video of their Lab, very interesting. And that it was going to take another 4 weeks.
But to my ashotishment, on Friday September 21, I received the mail that my results were ready to view at their site!!

Because I know quite a lot about my ancestors, I thought I wouldn't be nervous but this was not true! From the moment I received this e-mail, I had a serious attack of goose bumps....
I needed all my patience reserves to first feed my animals, eat my breakfast and do the necessary office duties.
Meanwhile I thought it would (purely for my own use) be nice to record my reactions, particularly because I made a list of what I thought my DNA would be.
I truly dislike being in front of any camera but this was such a special moment in my life!
After I arranged the camera set-up, I sat down and opened the results..........

When everything finally sank in, there were no major difference compared to my predictions but still I found a few very pleasant surprises!! I still walk around with a huge smile! How can I describe my feelings the best way?

It feels like coming home. My character, feelings, the way I experience and look at things, my preferences and antipathies, my taste for food and lots and lots more, everting got confirmed with one test. Everything, and again everything, fell into place.

For how long already do I call myself 'Child of the North'? My whole life I love rain, mist, dark evenings, Autumn and Winter, temperatures below 22 Celsius, woods but also endless views, Celtic music, stories, reading..... My introversion and pugnacity....... or stubbornness.

And did I write the story 'The Sitter' or 'Wind of Seasons' accidentally about my own ancestors?

I am still the same person I was before the DNA test and I am not going to be all of a sudden someone else but it confirmed who I am and why. And this my very dear readers, is in all it senses, a true gift of God.

The result of the test and my spontaneous reactions can be viewed in my video "My Ancestry DNA results and very happy!!!"

All my love,

Helen / Ike