Test kit offers glimpse into the past

"You want me to what?" I asked my wife, Katie, one afternoon. "Spit in this tube and we can find out where you come from," she answered.

About a year or so ago, my wife ordered a DNA test through a program offered by Ancestry.com, and when she received the results I found it completely fascinating.

It broke down her heritage and history into regions of the world illustrating her ancestors' native regions back through the veils of time.Encouraged by her results, she implored me to get my test done as well, but I did not order my test right away.In fact for about eight months I avoided the topic just because I wasn't really sure it was worth the time or expense.

As she found more sites that analyzed her heritage through her DNA and showed her different glimpses of her past, I slowly became intrigued to find out exactly where my family lines originated. Finally late last year, I was ready to learn about my DNA past.Ancestry.com had run a sale on the test, which also helped to encourage me to take the chance to see what I could learn.I relented at that point and told my wife I wanted to take the test.

She ordered it for me and in about a week it arrived. Inside was the test that would hopefully unlock some new understandings about my ancestral background.

The next afternoon was when Katie asked me to take the test so we could submit it with the postage paid mailer. I waited the recommended half-hour after eating and drinking before taking the test and then took the vial from her. "What do I do with this?" I asked.She answered, "You spit in it and then we send it away."Skeptically I began to drool into the vial. In the process I learned that the tube takes quitea large amount of spittle to satisfy the test needs.When I was done, my mouth was as dry as a dog bone, but the tube had the required amount for the test.

The test takes three to four weeks to be performed, and I must be honest, I was not exactly pinned to the mailbox to see the results. But one day about a month later, the results came. Not in a mailbox though but in true 21st-century fashion as an email to my wife.She excitedly asked if I was ready to learn about my past. Soon she handed me the pie chart that describes my evolution from my ancestors to the present as seen by my DNA.This was eye-opening and impressive to me.Most of us believe we came from one or two countries on each side of our family tree, and while those countries are a major source of our genetic background, very few of us have a completely or dominant homogenous bloodline.

My test was no exception.My major nationalities were all areas whose roots go back more than 1,000 years. I found out that the majority of my DNA is found in the different regions of Europe. Almost 86 percent of my DNA ended up coming from two major places, one being eastern Europe, which includes Poland, Czechoslovakia and the former Baltic states. I truly expected much of my DNA to originate from a different area, namely Germany, but that was not the case. Instead almost 31 percent of my DNA is traced back to Great Britain.This surprised me a bit considering most of the family lines trace roots back to the Czech Republic and Germany.Several minor influences were also present as well, including from Ireland; the Iberian peninsula, which consists of Spain and Portugal; Greece; and Russia.

The raw data on which the results are based is stored confidentially on Ancestry's website and you are able to download it.Katie found some other websites that interpret the data results of the test and provide other glimpses into what one's ancestors may have been like based on the regions to which the DNA is traced.Her discoveries told me that I had much agricultural influence and much of my DNA was from descendants of centuries-old farmers, which provided extra insights into my past.

In the end I found the experience rewarding, educational and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in their roots. It will help you not only learn your origins, but it will also give you insights into the roots of your own family and perhaps lead you to relationships you never thought were possible. Give it a try.

Till next time …