how ancestry.com has changed my life

Read more to hear how I found my grandfather through a simple mail-in DNA test!

---

It all started a few months ago when my mom bought me an Ancestry DNA kit. If you don't know about this company; they basically send you a tube in the mail, which you then fill with your saliva (gross I know) and then you mail it back to them and boom! A few weeks later you receive results through an online account showing your DNA matches, as well as your full ethnicity background.  

---

So, I did the deed, sent in the tube and received my results about a month later. I was excited to see my ethnicity background because, my dad has never known who his father was. So, therefore I have never known about 1/2 of my DNA. The results told me that I am 52% British, 26% Scandinavian, 11% Western European and 9% Scottish. Pretty accurate, huh? So, that made me happy and then I basically forgot about it for a few weeks. 

---

One day, I decided to look on my Ancestry account for fun and see what else was on there. I saw a tab that said "DNA Matches". It sounded intriguing so I clicked on it and what I saw next was not what I had expected. There was a random man's name on there who I had never heard of before. It stated that he was a "very close DNA match" to me. As soon as I read this I had the craziest feeling that this man could be my grandfather. Then I realized it wasn't that easy, and gave up the idea. 

---

I of course called my dad to let him know what I had discovered. We joked that it might be his father, but hadn't thought of it as an actual possibility. I decided to message the man and see if he was interested in discovering how exactly we were related. Long story short, he was interested and we messaged back and forth for a few weeks. I thought it was no use as we were not figuring it out. He suggested that we meet in person and try to figure it out. Turns out he only lives an hour from my dad. 

---

So, we invited him to my dad's house to figure it all out. As soon as he started to walk towards the front door I was astonished at the physical similarities in him and my dad. I immediately knew, we had found my grandfather. Still  a little unsure of the relation, we conversed with him for a while making small talk, when finally he spoke the words I had been waiting for. (Sounds cheesy, but this is a moment I will never forget). He turned to my dad and said, "Well, I am pretty sure...  that you are my son." My jaw dropped and I could not stop smiling. My dad finally meeting his father after 46 years of not knowing anything about him; was the most amazing, yet craziest experience of my life. He also learned of 4 brothers and a sister that he apparently has. Life truly is an amazing thing. This is a day I will never forget and I can now get to know my grandfather after so many lost years without him. 

---

I highly suggest trying an Ancestry DNA test if you are curious about your ethnic background or are curious to find your DNA matches. 

---

Thank you for listening to the story of this life-changing experience that I will forever be grateful for.