In a world where being of mixed race and living in a country different from your ancestors’ is the norm, curiosity about one’s heritage has reached its peak. People now more than ever are showing interest in their roots and identity. One of the most popular searches online are people searching for their origins.
It’s easy to know where your ancestry lies when looking into one generation prior to yours, but what happens when you look into your heritage from the distant past? How should one know the different intricacies that lie in their DNA?
Moreover, what can you do with this information once you receive it? Well, the answer to all of this is the new trend that’s taking the world by storm: ancestry travel. On that note, read on to know more about this trend and why it can be fun.
1. DNA TESTING
Before delving into the world of ancestry travel and enjoying the gleeful moments that come with it, we have to first touch upon the issue of the thing that starts it all: DNA testing. In no way can you travel and search for your specific heritage without getting a DNA test done. Nowadays, getting a DNA test done is as easy as pie, and many DNA testing labs specialize in genealogy and ancestry. These DNA ancestry services use genetic heritage technology that gives you the most accurate representation of your roots, even down to the 1% possibility of you having an ancestor from the North Pole; why not when the possibility is as vast as the sea?
2. A DETECTIVE GAME
So why is heritage travel fun, you may ask? Well, unlike other ways of traveling, you can make a game out of it. Before setting off, you can download maps, research some places that are likely to be linked with your family, maybe even look into some foods that are popular in your home, and check if they’re related to any of the countries you’re visiting. All in all, you can make a big game out of it. You can make the trip DIY or, to make it more detective-like, you can also hire a professional “inspector” to get all the information you need before traveling. Many professional genealogists for hire devote their lives to helping individuals find their complete family tree and all the other aspects that relate to it. What can also make this fun is including the rest of your family in your travels. It’ll be a nice way to bond with each other and create a deep sense of connection.
3. WHAT IS ANCESTRY TRAVEL?
Now that your testing is done and you have your results, it’s time for you to know more about ancestry travel. Heritage travel is on the rise and is becoming more and more popular with wanderlusters. This type of travel is different from other kinds, and it’s a pursuit of the places that once defined your family’s life. Unlike just looking at the piece of paper that shows you the percentage of your different heritages, genealogy tourism is a way to delve deeper into your roots. It’s a way for you to find out where your family used to live, what they used to do, the traditions they held, and their way of life. It also helps you understand how you got to the country you now live in; it’s an adventure that helps you understand your identity.
4. MULTIPLE UNEXPECTED DESTINATIONS
What’s also fun about DNA tourism is the unexpected places it can come up with. There are some places in the world that we never think of visiting, but following your heritage testing, you can discover new places that you’ve never thought of before. Moreover, it gives you the chance to travel to multiple destinations back-to-back, whereas in normal times you never have the excuse to do so. Well, this doesn’t mean that you have to travel to all the places at once, you can also take your time and leisurely travel to each destination every now and then. The most important thing is the novelty that it offers; remote lands are just waiting for you to visit.
Ancestry travel is an amazing way to discover the world while digging deeper into your own identity and heritage. It’s a way for you to understand your family’s history and also uncover the many stories and secrets each ancestor held. Moreover, it’s a situation that allows you to interact more with the locals and enjoy the profoundness of different cultures and traditions.
