And just like that, we’ve reached the end of my Summer of Genealogical Discontent—a season spent digging not into records, but into my own past as a researcher. I set out to share the biggest mistakes I made in my early years of genealogy—not to dwell on regret, but to show how growth happens in … Continue reading “The Summer of My Genealogical Discontent, Lesson 8: What I’ve Learned (and Unlearned)”
Today’s blog might seem to contradict last week’s post about how I regretted not joining genealogical organizations earlier. But hear me out—this is a different kind of lesson. When I decided to take the leap and become a professional genealogist, I did what many of us do: I turned to the experts. Longtime professionals told … Continue reading “The Summer of My Genealogical Discontent Lesson 7 – Listening to the Pros (or Not)”
I’ve had a passion for genealogy for as long as I can remember—I just didn’t know it had a name. As a child, I was drawn to the family stories my grandmother told and captivated by her scrapbooks and photo albums filled with long-ago faces and forgotten events. The mystery of my paternal side, which … Continue reading “The Summer of My Genealogical Discontent Lesson 6 – Failing to join an organization”
Welcome to another installment in my continuing series on genealogical misadventures! Today’s topic: my long, bumpy road with technology. I’ve always embraced tech—but it didn’t always embrace me back. Back in college, I took a programming course in PLC. The professor told us to throw out the textbook and “go with our gut.” Let’s just … Continue reading “The Summer of My Genealogical Discontent Lesson 5 – Software Shuffle”
This is a continuing in my series on mistakes I made as a beginning genealogist. If you missed the earlier lessons, you can read about my trust issues with online trees, family lore, and source saving habits here, here, and here. Let’s talk about confidence—or more accurately, the lack of it. My first family tree … Continue reading “The Summer of My Genealogical Discontent, Lesson 4 – Confidence”
This post continues my series on the missteps I made early in my genealogy journey—shared here so you don’t have to repeat them. If you missed my rants about trusting online trees or even trusting your own family, you can catch up here and here. Today’s lesson is about a bad habit I picked up … Continue reading “The Summer of My Genealogical Discontent, Lesson 3, To Save or Not to Save!”
Last week, I blogged about my rookie mistake of trusting online family trees without question. If you missed it, you can catch up here. This week’s lesson hits even closer to home—literally. Because as much as we want to believe our families always tell it straight, I’ve learned the hard way that even relatives can … Continue reading “The Summer of My Genealogical Discontent, Lesson 2: Cousin Trust, or Not!”
Hello, 2026! Before we officially bid 2025 adieu, let’s take a look at your Top 10 reader favorite posts here at GenealogyAtHeart.com: This list tells me a lot about you. You’re actively using online genealogy platforms and you want to get the most out of them without wasting time or money. You care deeply about … Continue reading “GenealogyAtHeart’s Top 10 of 2025”
