Ancestry DNA, and why it's the coolest
From the time I first learned what a princess was, I deluded myself into thinking I was one. Being a princess is so much better than being a queen, because you get to have all of the fun (the parties, the shoes, the outfits) without any of the work. Plus, it didn't help that the first time I saw a psychic, she fed into my delusions and told me that I was definitely a Spanish princess in a past life.
From the time I learned who Helen of Troy was, I had convinced myself that we were kindred spirits, because who doesn't want to be known as a woman so beautiful, she literally started a war? My second choice was discovering that I'm a Greek Goddess (because Greek mythology is real in my mind).
Because of these hopes, I started working on my family tree. My main goal was to discover where in Spain my family descended from, but my hope was that I would discover that I was related to someone famous, or, even better, royal. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten as far into my family tree as I would have liked (I've traced my paternal grandfather's side back to my 12th great grandparents, who were Spanish Conquistadors who settled in Zacatecas, Mexico in the 1500s). So, to help further my project, I decided to invest in an Ancestry DNA kit, which is one of the greatest decisions I've made!
38% Native American- The only complaint I have about the DNA test is that the "Native American" embodies South America, Central America, and North America. So I don't know exactly what my 38% North American entails. I know that part of it is Mexican, and Native American, but what about the rest?
32% Iberian Peninsula- This was the part I was most excited about. The Iberian Peninsula embodies mostly Spain and Portugal. Though I knew that I was Spanish, I didn't know exactly what percentage until now. I mean, I didn't prove I was a Spanish Princess, but it's a start, right?
9% Italy/Greece- Remember my Helen of Troy obsession I mentioned earlier? Well, part of my dreams came true when I saw that I (could be) Greek. Besides, if I'm not Greek, that means I'm Italian, which is 100% okay with me.
Other Regions- These are also known as Trace Regions. Trace Regions are small amounts of DNA that may or may not have come from these regions, though it is very likely that it did.
From the time I learned who Helen of Troy was, I had convinced myself that we were kindred spirits, because who doesn't want to be known as a woman so beautiful, she literally started a war? My second choice was discovering that I'm a Greek Goddess (because Greek mythology is real in my mind).
Because of these hopes, I started working on my family tree. My main goal was to discover where in Spain my family descended from, but my hope was that I would discover that I was related to someone famous, or, even better, royal. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten as far into my family tree as I would have liked (I've traced my paternal grandfather's side back to my 12th great grandparents, who were Spanish Conquistadors who settled in Zacatecas, Mexico in the 1500s). So, to help further my project, I decided to invest in an Ancestry DNA kit, which is one of the greatest decisions I've made!
38% Native American- The only complaint I have about the DNA test is that the "Native American" embodies South America, Central America, and North America. So I don't know exactly what my 38% North American entails. I know that part of it is Mexican, and Native American, but what about the rest?
32% Iberian Peninsula- This was the part I was most excited about. The Iberian Peninsula embodies mostly Spain and Portugal. Though I knew that I was Spanish, I didn't know exactly what percentage until now. I mean, I didn't prove I was a Spanish Princess, but it's a start, right?
9% Italy/Greece- Remember my Helen of Troy obsession I mentioned earlier? Well, part of my dreams came true when I saw that I (could be) Greek. Besides, if I'm not Greek, that means I'm Italian, which is 100% okay with me.
Other Regions- These are also known as Trace Regions. Trace Regions are small amounts of DNA that may or may not have come from these regions, though it is very likely that it did.
- North African (4%): This wasn't as surprising as you would think, because the regions considered North Africa are very close to Spain and Portugal. Plus, if I am descended from the Spanish Moors, this would make total sense. Plus, this also means I could be Egyptian, so just call me Cleopatra.
- East Asian (2%): This, however, was surprising. I don't have a theory of where this came from.
- Central Asian (Less than 1%): Ditto on this one.
- European Jewish (3%): My maternal grandmother actually mentioned to me a few years ago that we were Jewish, so this wasn't a surprise. Seeing that it was only 3%, however, was.
- Finland/ Northwest Russia (3%): I don't even know where Russia would come from. Or Finland.
- Scandanavia (2%): This includes Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, which is another region that I wouldn't have expected.
- Ireland (1%): I really like potatoes, maybe that's the 1% Irish in me?
- Great Britain (Less than 1%): This HAS TO be a Trace Region that doesn't exist in my DNA, because I'm pretty positive that I'm not British at all.
- Europe West (Less than 1%): The countires included in this are Belguim, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein. My best guess is that a Spanish ancestor of mine met someone from France, and, centuries later, here I am.
- Middle East (3%): This includes countires such as Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, etc. I'm not sure how this fits into my DNA, but I think it's pretty cool, so I'll take it.
Learning about my ethnicity was really cool, and I'm beyond glad I did it. If any of you are interested in doing an Ancestry DNA test, CLICK HERE. You'll get 10% off (and some insight into your history), and I'll get a $10 giftcard!
Comments
Post a Comment