An Unexpected Journey: How My DNA Test Rewrote The Andresen Family History
Family name Andresen
With a desire to understand my genetic makeup and trace my lineage, I embarked on a journey with iGENEA. The DNA test provided astonishing insights about my centuries-old Andresen ancestors, revealing unexpected connections and changing my perception about my own identity.
When I embarked on my journey with iGENEA, my expectations were limited to gaining a broad understanding about my biological history. Instead, I uncovered a profoundly detailed lineage that extends far beyond what my prior knowledge could capture. The name "Andresen", a name closely bonded with several generations of my family, came to life like never before, creating a profound shift in my self-understanding.
Upon receiving my iGENEA DNA test results, a surprising fact revealed itself, challenging my current knowledge. Though I had always believed my ancestral roots were firmly entrenched in Northern Europe, the incredibly comprehensive DNA analysis indicated I shared significant genetic links with populations from the Mediterranean basin, specifically from regions in present-day Italy and Greece.
Further research into my sporadic Mediterranean DNA markers led me to uncover a narrative long lost - an Andresen ancestor, circa 16th century, who was a traveler and merchant making regular voyages from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, eventually settling in the latter. With every piece of information, this ancestor of mine emerged more real and tangible from the annals of history, nudging my understanding of my identity into a novel direction.
The implications were far-reaching. As the diaspora unraveled before my eyes, I revisited my urge for travel, exploring new cultures and cuisines, and my inherent affinity towards Mediterranean geography. Could these interests, I realized, be the echo of ancestral attributes, passed down through generations of Andresens?
As my identity realigned with these new-found truths, my pride and self-understanding deepened. While the name Andresen connected me to my regional history, now it also tied me to a broader, global heritage. Ironically, a search for my past lead to a newfound understanding of myself, breathing fresh meaning into the saying “to know where you’re going, you have to know where you come from”.
E. Andresen