Jordan’s Journey Goes International! ✈️

After I published Jordan’s Journey, I always fantasized about doing a volume two sub-titled: The European Edition! Digging deeper into my heritage before my ancestors came to America would be fascinating. While, unfortunately, I don’t think such a book will happen any time soon—for various reasons I won’t get into here—I do intend to explore my international heritage in whatever ways I can. Last summer, I took the first step towards this when I visited Germany to learn more about my Beck ancestors.

My Beck family can be traced back to a small city called Ebingen (which has become part of a larger city called Albstadt). Initially, I was going to visit Ebingen on my own to see what I could find there. I had no real hopes of accomplishing anything in terms of “serious” research because—most unfortunately—I do not speak German. So… that makes research a bit difficult, if not impossible.

Then came AncestorCloud, a new service connecting genealogy buffs like myself with professional genealogists and historians. I thought, what the hell, why not give this a try? Sure enough, they connected me with a professional German researcher who agreed to take on the job. I met Kathrin in Ebingen one day, and she had prepared a wonderful historical tour of the city. This gave me so much insight into my ancestors’ cultural and economic circumstances, which I found incredibly valuable.

On top of providing a broader context for me to understand the lives of my German ancestors, Kathrin presented me with many church records she had retrieved before I arrived in Germany. We spent a whole day together, sitting in an outdoor cafe on the streets of Ebingen, sipping lattes and teas and enjoying a wonderful day of research, conversation, and laughter.

My time in Ebingen came to an end all too soon. Leaving the city–and Kathrin–felt very sad. In such a short time, I felt at home there. I had connected with my German roots in ways I never thought possible.

So… I don’t know… Jordan’s Journey: The European Edition… maybe it is possible. It’s a nice dream. But even if it doesn’t take the same form as the original Jordan’s Journey project, rest assured, this is only the beginning as I explore my European heritage more deeply.

Read the piece AncestorCloud put together about my trip on their blog.