Ep 72: If you've ever felt a pull toward the land your ancestors came from — like some part of you belongs somewhere you've never been — this episode is for you.

In the summer of 2024, I traveled to Northern Wales with most of my family to stand where our ancestors stood, 100 years after my grandmother left as a four-year-old girl. And it changed me.

In this episode, I share what that experience was really like — the preparation, the moments that brought me to tears, and the unexpected discoveries that still give me chills.

We talk about:

• How to prepare for a heritage trip so it actually feels meaningful (not just like sightseeing)

• The Gaelic concept of dúthchas — and why it perfectly describes what I felt the moment I arrived

• What happened inside a 16th-century Welsh church when my family sang hymns together

• How a last-minute Ancestry find led us down winding farm roads to a headstone we almost didn't look for

• The one thing I wish I had brought on the trip — and why it matters for your family too

• Why standing on ancestral land is something Google Earth simply cannot replicate

But this is about more than just travel.

Because when you stand where your ancestors lived, worked, and worshipped — when you breathe the same air and walk the same land — something shifts. You start to feel your roots in a way that no amount of research can fully give you.

Ready to plan your own ancestral journey?

If you want to visit your ancestral homeland and actually feel connected while you're there, I create personalized Ancestral Journey Maps.

I'll help you:

• Identify 5–10 meaningful locations to visit in your ancestral homeland

• Understand the backstory of each location and why it mattered to your family

• Get the historical context that brings your ancestors' lives to life

• Have a printed guide you can hold in your hands while you're there

This is where genealogy becomes something you can feel.

👉 Book a free discovery call here: https://knowyourancestors.co/book-call

Have questions or not sure if it's right for you? Send me a message — I'd love to chat.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganhillyer

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meganhillyer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knowyourancestorsco

Ep 71: A lot of people think that genealogy research is super hard, confusing, and overwhelming.

But it's actually a very doable thing....and is easier now than ever.

In this episode I walk you through how to get started and share a couple tools that can help:

1. The FamilySearch Research Wiki: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Main_Page

2. Family Tree Foundations - Self-guided Online Course: https://knowyourancestors.co/family-tree-foundations

And just for podcast listeners, you can use code PODCAST for 30% off Family Tree Foundations.

Enjoy!

Find me on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganhillyer/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/knowyourancestorsco

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meganhillyer

Ep 70: You feel it… that pull toward your roots. Wanting something deeper, but not knowing where to start.

In this episode, we’re talking about culture—and why so many of us feel disconnected from it.

Because it didn’t disappear.

It was forgotten.

I share why this disconnection happens and how you can begin finding your own culture again—without borrowing from others.

Inside, we cover:

- Why “white culture” can feel missing

- How culture was lost through migration and assimilation

- 3 simple ways to start discovering your roots

✨ Melanie Marisol’s free email sequence: https://thelineagerevival.com/pages/gift

✨ Start your Origin Initiation: https://knowyourancestors.co/origin