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DNA, Family, and Finding Your People

ByCrystal Sargent

Belonging

Invested Traveler was created to deepen something innate in all of us — the longing for security that comes from acceptance, inclusion, and identity. Whether we seek it at work, in the neighborhoods we call home, or even within our own families, belonging shapes how we see ourselves and the world around us.

For me, this longing was deeply personal. When my husband and I were raising his daughter, I often felt like a sideline player in my own home. The irony? My stepdaughter felt the same way — wondering where she fit in this new family structure. That experience, shared but unspoken, revealed just how universal the search for belonging really is.

Why Belonging Matters

Psychologists Baumeister and Leary call belonging one of our most fundamental human needs. In the Psychological Bulletin, they write:

“Belongingness appears to have multiple and strong effects on emotional patterns and on cognitive processes, and the need to belong is a powerful, fundamental, and extremely pervasive motivation.”

You can see this need everywhere — in our friendships, workplaces, and even in the booming ancestry DNA market. Valued at $10.1 billion by 2031, this industry reflects millions of people searching for more than just data. They’re searching for connection.

Beyond the DNA Map

I know because I was one of them.

When I first received my DNA results, I expected to see confirmation of family folklore — that sliver of American Indian ancestry we always talked about. Instead, I found:

  1. Less than 1% American Indian DNA as family folklore suggested.
  2. More European ancestry than I realized.
  3. A significant mix of African ancestry across the western and central continent.

Later, as technology improved, the company updated my results with a heat map of matched relatives. Dots filled the U.S. — Mississippi, Arkansas, Illinois — the usual suspects — and even parts of Europe. But despite being 84% African, there were no dots in Africa. No connection. No ties to my ancestral roots.
And that cut like a knife.

I always knew there was an ancestral void, but seeing it mapped out made it real. When I shared this story at my grandmother’s 90th birthday party, everyone in the room understood instantly. That’s why we gifted circular lapel pins to every guest — a reminder that, through Mildred Watkins, we are all connected.

Quick trip to Ohio, but great to be back to my roots and family.

What Do I Do With This Information?

That moment reminded me of an earlier experience sponsoring a mobile healthcare clinic for underserved communities in San Diego. We funded screenings that identified people at high risk of heart disease and stroke. But there was no funding for what came next. People left asking: Where do I go from here? What do I do with this information?

That’s exactly how I felt staring at my DNA map. The results gave me data — dots on a screen — but no meaning, no connection, no next step.

Finding Your Tribe

Social media was built on the idea that connections matter. “Find your tribe,” we say now. But belonging isn’t about likes or followers — it’s about finding the people, places, and traditions that make you feel whole.

Heritage travel is the missing bridge. It transforms ancestry data into lived experience — food, music, dance, and history that make you feel at home. It’s through this immersion that we begin to heal the gaps, rediscover identity, and create legacy.

Even today, the industry is evolving. Recently, Ancestry.com acquired iMemories to integrate visual storytelling into family history. If DNA kits show you who you’re connected to, and iMemories show you what they did, then Invested Traveler takes you to where it all begins.

Why I Founded Invested Traveler

That’s why I founded Invested Traveler: to help others take the next step — beyond maps and memories — toward true belonging.

Because belonging isn’t just about knowing who you are. It’s about stepping into the places, the traditions, and the communities that make that knowledge come alive.

Closing

Belonging is one of our most basic needs — and one of our greatest opportunities for growth.

In this space, I’ll be exploring belonging, heritage, and legacy — and I’d love for you to join me.