A complimentary  GPS Origins™ DNA test kit was provided to facilitate this review; all opinions are my own.

I think it’s human nature to want to know where you came from, but surprisingly, my family knows very little about our ancestors. I’ve unsuccessfully tried to trace back our ancestry, but I reach a dead end at just one generation away because of a lack of information.

As a child, our ethnicity only came up once when I was asked to write a report on my ancestors and where we immigrated from. I had no idea; it wasn’t something that we ever discussed. I don’t think my parents were sure either, but they threw out a few options saying we were likely Scotch, Irish, Welsh, and German. Looking into our surname a few years ago, I discovered we were probably English.

After spending hours searching for my ancestry, I got a chance to take a little shortcut in my process by having my DNA tested.

Finding Out My Family’s History

GPS Origins™ offered me the opportunity to have my DNA tested to help determine my family’s history. With the easy-to-order GPS Origins™ DNA test, I was able to collect my DNA sample at home and return it by mail for processing.

GPS Origins™ancestry DNA test takes you deeper into your family history, targeting your DNA’s origin well beyond other ancestry tests. Using the most comprehensive set of gene pools, 500 reference populations and a powerful algorithm developed at the University of Sheffield by leading genealogy experts, GPS Origins™ has the ability to focus your ancestry search to cities, towns or villages.

It requires about 6-weeks to deliver your results after it arrives at GPS Origins’ accredited testing facility. Your cheek swab is analyzed, and the results are emailed to you.

Understanding My Results

So what did my test show? My three largest gene pools are Fennoscandia, Southern France, and Western Siberia. I had no idea!

Fennoscandia encompasses the countries of Norway, Sweden, Finland and a part of Russia known as the Kola Peninsula.

My Ancestor’s DNA Migration Routes

My results found that part of my ancestors came from Russia before 836 AD and at some point after 836 AD they moved to Finland. My other ancestors came from Russia before 370 AD, and at some time before 370 AD, they moved on to Iceland where sometime after 370 AD they migrated to Ireland. The two paths represent a maternal (mother’s) and paternal (father’s) migration pattern.

What Am I?

After having my test done, I’m more confused than ever. It’s clear I’m mostly of Eastern European descent, but my DNA also revealed I am 9.5% Southeastern India, 2.7% Northern India, 2% Northwester Africa, 0.4% Western South America, and 0.2% Nile Valley Peoples (Western Ethiopia and South Sudan).

What Now?

With the results I received, I’ll be taking my ancestor search in new directions I wouldn’t have thought to look. Before this, I had anecdotal information on where my ancestors came from, and it turns out, it may not be true. I can’t wait to dig in and start trying to fill in my family tree!

Ready to Find Out Your Ancestry?

I can’t begin to understand the science behind their testing and why they believe theirs is more comprehensive, so please check out their DNA test comparison chart. In it, they compare their testing to that of three of their competitors. They provide detailed information on what each company tests as well as current pricing.

Find out more about GPS Origins:  HOW IT WORKS / FAQ / RESOURCES / Connect on Facebook

If you’ve already had our DNA test done by another provider and you have access to the raw data, you can upload it to GPS Origins™ and have it analyzed at a discounted rate. The new information you’ll get additional insights from this additional testing.

Both the GPS Origins Test & Report and Report only are currently discounted 20% when you sue the code DEAL at checkout (please note, this offer may end at any time).

Ready to find out where you’re from? Visit the GPS Origins website to get started.