About this episode

Megan Hillyer shares her transformative experience of visiting her ancestral homeland in Wales with her family.

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…

People in this episode

Host: Megan Hillyer

Topics covered

• heritage travel
• ancestral connections
• family history
• cultural identity
• personal transformation
• emotional experiences

Keywords

• heritage trip
• Wales
• ancestry
• family history
• cultural roots
• dúthchas
• emotional journey
• travel preparation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ancestry

Places: Wales, Northern Wales, 16th-century Welsh church, farm roads

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