Who Do You Think You Are?

The other day, I spent an afternoon curled up on the couch, watching episode after episode of an intriguing show called Who Do You Think You Are? In the show, celebrities are taken on a journey to explore their family tree, and basically learn about who they are and where they came from. They begin by talking to their family, generally with questions about a certain branch of the family. Then, through the help of genealogists and historians, have their questions answered, sometimes traveling all over the globe.

I have always been fascinated with family trees. My mother is from Spain, and my father from the States. The fact that my family is scattered across the globe has probably contributed to why genealogy is something I can easily get sucked into. I have a wide mix of nationalities, including Cherokee, Norwegian, Spanish, Portuguese, English, and French.  Trying to imagine how those nationalities came together in the first place and how they are connected to me is almost mind-boggling.

When you think about it, the only reason you exist right now, as the way you are, is because of all of your predecessors. Your existence is literally a one in a million chance. Perhaps it is for this very reason that we often feel a need to know where we come from. Knowing the stories of our ancestors, I think, helps ourselves define who we are. For example, Zooey Deschanel was on the show of Who Do You Think You Are? She wanted to explore how far back strong female characters went in her family. As it turns out, there is a very long line of them. Deschanel considers herself a feminist, and now she knows that empowered women really do run in the family.

My immediate family, as a whole, enjoys traveling. Since my father was formerly in the military, my family has gotten to travel to all kinds of places. Each parent and every sibling, excluding one of my brothers, were born in a different state or country. We like adventure. This adventurous quality exists on both sides of my family, particularly on my father’s side. My dad’s family is scattered with army and air force personnel, with next generations carrying the torch and continuing the tradition. The military aspect of my family is one of my definers; I am a proud American and enjoy a traveler’s life.

Perhaps even more intriguing than knowing where you come from by studying your genealogy are the connections you make. Not only are you connected to your family by blood, but also by the things you do and enjoy. Come from a family that is particularly artistic? Three generations back, you might find someone who managed to win some sort of award or otherwise have their work on display somewhere. You might learn something about your family that could answer questions you have about yourself. Or maybe you’ll find a bounty of stories to pass on to the generations to come.