I’ve always been fascinated with personal history. As a Jewish child, I grew up being taught the mythology of the promised land of Israel, and I guess that sparked something in me. I went to Israel long ago, and connected with its historic sites, but my interest only grew from there. I wanted to know where all of my ancestors came from, and where they went along the way.
Which is why I decided to use the best DNA ancestry kit to find who my ancestors really were. And once I’d done that, I decided I wanted to see the places they came from. However, it’s not that simple.
If you want to travel around the world, locating your roots, here are some tips that I’ve learned.
Start with what you know
DNA testing taught me a lot about my heritage, especially in terms of the diversity of my ancestors’ origins. I’m not only the Eastern European Jew I believed myself to be. But it made sense to start with where I knew my roots to be. Israel was an easy start, but Eastern Europe came next. This included trips to some of the saddest spots in my history, like death camps and mass graves. But it also led me to old synagogues and learning halls. I left with mixed feelings, but no regrets for going.
Even if it turns out you're not as connected to a place as you thought you were, if it’s part of your heritage, you'll find meaning there. Start with what you know, and branch out from there.
Pinpoint a location
Ancestry DNA testing kits can tell you a lot about where you came from. However, it’s not going to tell you the name of the exact suburb and town where one or more of your ancestors lived. It will tell you a region. So, where do you go if you want to connect with that heritage?
Ideally, we could all travel through whole regions, visiting every city in every country where our ancestors may have been found. But that’s simply not possible. Rather, you're going to have to choose a location that resonates most with you.
For example, I found out that I have British ancestry. However, although I loved London, it wasn’t a place I really connected with. Bath, however, with its storied history (especially in literary terms) called out to me. And I really connected with it, as many people do. I especially love the fact that Jane Austen lived there.
If you find that you have ancestry in a region you haven't visited yet, do some research to find out where in that region you want to go. Part of your heritage is certainly what you've learned to love and cherish, whether that’s literature, ancient mythology, or anthropology.
Journal
Our generation has become somewhat dependent on the visual medium for memories of places. However, I have found that when it comes to recording what you actually felt in a place, nothing beats journalling. While you're there, write down your thoughts and emotions. Let it flow from you. It doesn't need to be “good” or even coherent. It’s what you are experiencing and therefore there are no right answers!
Article by Laura Berelstone
