People in my everyday life usually call me Lisa, including my lovely twin nieces to whom I am Auntie Lisa. In new areas of my life, I have taken to using my original name I was given at birth, before my adoption: Sasha Quickstar.

I’m a new Welsh learner and I love it. I’ve studied French, Spanish, and Chinese as well as recently scratching the surface with Irish/Gaeilge and Greek, with future goals to learn Cornish and Manx. I have been teaching English as a Foreign Language for over a decade, and I really enjoy how different the SSi approach is from anything else I’ve experienced as a learner or a teacher. I really am amazed at how quickly I’m learning.

I’m a second-generation adoptee who spent almost 40 years knowing nothing at all about where my family came from - one year ago, I could go back in time no farther than 1955. I am finally able to find out about my family history using genetic genealogy now that I’ve done a DNA test and my birth-mother’s adoption records have been unsealed following her passing almost three years ago.

In the process, I’ve found I have Welsh ancestry - though it’s impossible to say just how much because of the way the regions are broken down. The names I’ve found so far are from some people who lived in Wales long, long ago… I have so many gaps to fill in my family tree, so the adventure continues!

I’ve always had an interest in languages, so the chance to learn those my ancestors spoke is too exciting to miss! Even though I love English literature and teach English, I have always felt something was missing for me… and of the languages I’ve studied, it is Cymraeg that feels “right” somehow and I have felt so inspired and motivated.

As I learn more and more about Welsh culture, it matters less and less to me what that percentage from the DNA test might be, it has taken hold of my heart and I’m proud of my Welsh heritage. A lot of the time I find myself wondering, “Is THAT why I do/say/like/think that?!?” because there are so many things that have been a part of my life all along, it’s like a re-discovery as often as a discovery. Weird, but fun!

I guess I’m hoping learning Cymraeg will help me feel more connected to my ancestors and to parts of myself I am only now learning about, but I am also hoping that it will help me meet new people and have new experiences I never could have anticipated before I began this journey.