It's been just over a year since the results of a DNA test came back and revealed that I have a first cousin that lives just minutes away from me, a revelation that changed my life. In addition to being a new cousin, I found out that I am an uncle, great-uncle, and half-brother for the second time. And most incredibly of all, I found my biological father. He'll celebrate Father's Day next week for the first time in his life at the age of 86. More about that later.
The DNA juggernaut seems to have slowed for now, although I do still get a surge of adrenaline every month when 23andMe says I "have new 20 relatives" and I wonder if there is some fresh, new shock awaiting me. We've all settled in nicely, and my half-sister, nieces and nephews will be visiting us next week, their first trip to California together.
So it seems as good a time as any to take a step back and share the ways that this whole journey has surprised me, saddened me and thrilled me, and try to summarize the things I've learned about myself and this whole journey.
