I spoke to an older, Polish woman on a rural, public train.  She told me her goal was to eventually visit her home country.  As it happens, she grew up "Down Under" and has only ever seen photos of most of her relatives.  She belongs to a nearby Polish cultural association where she interacts with Australian people who speak her native tongue, cook ethnic Polish foods such as perogies, engage in folk dancing and singing, among other events that remind her of her distant homeland. I began to wonder what identifies a place if it isn't the people, history and things the lady said.

In speaking with me, she explained her motivation is a sense of connection to a place she's never seen.  She says she thinks about where she is now and why. She recognizes she has independent will and freedom to choose how she spends her money.  Yet, she remains reluctant to achieve her goal.  As we chatted, I noted she didn't use definite, proactive language, such as "I will go."   Instead, she used reactive language, such as "I can't" (because). 

When her stop came, I suggested she might get to see her homeland someday, and she replied tentatively with a smile, "I might."  Whether she truly sets her mind to achieving this goal remains to be seen.  Literally traveling back to her family's geographic roots may be more of an inconsequential dream than a real-life priority. What have you done in your life to investigate your family history? How do you foresee your interest evolving and why?