Remember those days in elementary school where the teacher would have you do a project on your family heritage? There would be questions like, "What is your background?" or "What have your parents told you about where you came from?" For me, there was a blocker on what I'd identified myself as. All my life, I considered myself Swedish, Irish, and surprising to most, Portuguese. What surprised me the most wasn't what I identified as, but the results from my DNA test I took recently. There is a story behind this, and I will tell you.
When my aunt and father were young, they were raised by my uncle, whom I consider my grandfather. The reasons being I don't wish to share, but at the time it seemed clear that they were both better off with my grandfather and his family. My father's side consisted of who my grandmother's family was, my biological grandmother. Her family is made up of Swedish and some Irish. Now fast forward to present day, I am aware of who my biological grandfather is, and I've had the privilege to speak with him. In 2011, before my junior year of high school started, my sister discovered, on Ancestry's website, my biological grandfather's information and got in contact with him. He shared his story but then what happened next turned everything upside down. I never knew anyone, besides my great-grandfather, who was adopted. This turned into a hunt to figure out where my family came from, and today, there still is many mysteries that are left unsolved.
Recently, I had bought the Ancestry DNA test, which gives you a pie chart of what your nationalities are, a list of possible relatives, and a DNA circle that lists how many other people are related to the same person as you. When I received my results, I was amazed at what I discovered. My heritage is made up of English, Irish, Swedish and Portuguese. The process for the DNA test took about four weeks for shipping, and three to six weeks for processing and posting the results of the DNA test to the tester's profile.
This has opened many more doors as to where my family came from. This finally answers those questions the teacher's in elementary school have asked throughout my years in elementary school. This new turning point in the adventure of finding out who I am brings new aspects about myself. To me, this DNA test means I can figure out why I have ginger-colored hair, or where I got my green eyes, or the freckles that are slightly scattered across my face. Without this DNA test, or Ancestry in general, I would be clueless and not aware of any part of my heritage or who I am as a person. There are many relatives I've found and waiting to hear back from. When it comes to finding out who you are, it's about determining where your heritage lineage goes, and how you can learn more about yourself.
