A little while ago, maybe a couple weeks, I honestly don’t remember, I applied to be part of a 23 and Me research study into the genetics of patients with depression and bipolar disorder. In exchange for me participating in several surveys over the coming months, they would send me a complimentary genetics testing kit and put my information in their database for future use.

I don’t know if this means that I’ll also get a complimentary overview of my ancestral makeup, but at least my DNA will be on file should I choose to purchase that package in the future.

This is particularly interesting to me because I don’t know a quarter of my genetic makeup. My biological maternal grandfather was apparently a one night stand during a time when such things were downright scandalous, as was having a child out of wedlock. My mother was adopted by her great aunt and uncle, and that is the couple that I recognize as my maternal grandparents.

As a result of this missing information, I’ve never attempted to try and chase down my ancestry. I’ve always been curious about it, but to be honest I’m not sure how a situation like this would be handled in genealogy circles. I know there has to be a protocol, but I don’t know what it is and honestly am not THAT curious to track down a definitive answer.

What I AM curious about is where my bloodline originated from. I’ve never had an answer to that question, and I’ve always felt a tiny pang of jealousy of those people that can accurately identify their national ancestry. That would be a question that this testing kit may be able to answer for me.

I do know that I will receive a more medically-oriented report on my DNA, so I’ll know if there’s something that I need to be on the lookout for in the future. That’s worth participating in the research program all on its own. But if I get an ancestral report to boot? That would be ideal.

Interestingly enough, the kit is coming from a town about an hour and fifteen minutes away from where I was born and raised. Not sure if I’d call that a sign, but it’s a neat little factoid that probably interests only me.

I’ll let you know what I find out when the test results come back, probably in two or three months.