So some of you might know that my 24th birthday is coming up this week! I’m super pumped! And figured it would be a good time to talk about my 23 and Me experience and results — you know, while I’m still 23 (haha I’m hilarious I know!).

Earlier this year I had a 23 and Me DNA kit mailed to my home in California.

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What is 23 and Me?

23 and Me is a genetic testing company that takes your DNA from a saliva sample and breaks down your ancestry from around the world. They also provide a ‘Health Reports’ service where they can tell you if you are likely to have certain genetics, diseases, and traits.

Who does a DNA test?

Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to get their DNA tested.

Some people are adopted and want to learn about their family history. Some are more interested in knowing about their health and probabilities of having certain diseases. Others want to connect with people who share the same DNA (as you can also see DNA relatives and how closely related you are). I even know people who take the test just for fun (which is a completely valid reason)!

I have my own personal reasons for taking the 23 and Me test, but it was mostly just out of curiosity. Although I bought the complete Health + Ancestry kit, I was more concerned about the ancestry portion than the health reports.

Here are my 23 and Me results!

So… what exactly am I?? INTERNATIONAL!

Your girl is from all over the place!

I must admit I was super surprised to see some of the statistics, like being a teeny tiny bit Asian. But other than that, they’re very close to what I expected! Read more about me here.

Turns out I’m 55.6% EUROPEAN! With 47% of that being SPANISH (no wonder I have a weird connection with Spain)! And the rest being a mix of British/Irish, Scandinavian, and Eastern European (I was surprised by those).

The other major portion of my DNA breakdown is being about 30% Native American (from my Latino background).

So all in all, 85% of my DNA is Native American and European. The rest breaks down into really small percentages like this:

Overall, the results were really interesting (even if I had a good guess of what I was). It’s also really nice to know so I could kind of breakdown which genes I inherited from either side of my family.

Health + Ancestry Too!

I also got the health and genetic traits reports (which basically said I don’t have anything to worry about). But if you’re curious to see which health and genetic traits reports you can get from 23 and Me, here is a sneak peek:

If your reason for getting a DNA test involves learning about your health, then definitely get the Health+Ancestry Kit. But if you’re not super interested in those reports, I would still 100% recommend at least getting the Ancestry report.

How did I do it?

My 23 and Me kit came in a cute little white box with instructions, a test tube, and a biohazard bag. All I had to do was spit in the test tube (I know, a little gross!) and close it shut. I then shook it a bit and put it in the biohazard bag. This bag then went back in the box it came in and I mailed it off to the test center – easy peasy!

How long did it take?

Doing the whole spit sample took less than 5 minutes. But make sure you haven’t eaten, drunk, or smoked anything about 30 minutes before spitting.

They received my sample in less than a week and it took them one month to post my results to the 23 and Me portal.

How much does it cost?

The Ancestry-only report costs $99.

The Ancestry+Health reports costs $199.

I’d say the Ancestry-only report is worth it, but if you are interested in seeing your health results, then might as well get the second package. Especially because they can keep updating you throughout time when some new information pops up regarding your DNA (and it’s only a one-time fee!)

Would I recommend it?

I would definitely recommend taking the DNA test! I know some people have taken theirs from other DNA companies, but I really liked the simplicity and modernity of the 23 and Me version. They even have their own app. If you’re interested in finding out more about your history, ancestry, family members, health, etc. then definitely check it out!

It would be nice if they could break things down by country, but I understand that’s more difficult. Either way — the test is extremely insightful!

I actually think everyone should be required to take a DNA test like this. If more people took these tests, everyone would feel more open to learning about other cultures, and embracing each other. If people saw that they’re not 100% pure of whatever they think they are, then they would be more open-minded and accepting.

Will you do your own DNA test? I hope the answers will surprise you!

It honestly makes a good christmas or birthday present for family members as well. 🙂

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Let me know how it goes! I would LOVE to see where you are from. Maybe we’re related in some way. 😉