My granddaughter in front of my grandmother’s home in Rotondella

A friend wrote to me after reading last week’s post: “When I was twenty, I first visited my grandparents’ village of Saint Ippolito outside Cosenza in Calabria. I was fortunate to go from house to house meeting families throughout the town. Since then, I’ve returned a half dozen times, trying to understand my heritage and how it continues to shape our lives.

That first journey helped me understand the significance of place and the incredible reservoir of knowledge and history that has made my life so much richer.

I wish I could transmit my enthusiasm and deep gratitude. I encourage anyone who wants to discover their roots to go. Take the deep dive—it’s so worth it. For me, nothing compares to the warmth and personal connection of time in my ancestral village.”

My reflection: When I read his words, I felt his enthusiasm and gratitude because I felt the same thing when I discovered Rotondella.

Today’s thought: In 2024, more than eight million Americans traveled to Italy. But for those who want to understand their past, the deepest connections happen in the small towns and villages where their families once lived. Stories heard around the dinner table begin to take on new life.

For Americans whose families came from Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Poland, or countless other places, the same opportunity exists: to walk the streets their ancestors once walked and to see the landscapes that shaped their lives.

Millions of Americans travel abroad every year. But a journey to the town or village your family once called home can become something more than tourism.

It can become a return – a return to a place, a story, and perhaps even a deeper understanding of yourself and your family.

Where might your own ancestral road lead if you chose to follow it?